£     THE      \ 
g  LIBRARIES  tj 


GENERAL 

libraR* 


9**n.    £A 


A 

COMPREHENSIVE 

History  of  Methodism, 

In  One  Volume. 


EMBRACING 


ORIGIN,  PROGRESS,  AND  PRESENT  SPIRITUAL,  EDU- 
CATIONAL, AND  BENEVOLENT  STATUS 
IN  ALL  LANDS. 


JAMES  PORTER,  D.  D., 

AUTHOR  OF  "COMPENDIUM  OF  METHODISM,"  "WINNING  WORKER, 
"CHART  OF  LIFE,"  etc. 


"  We  will  go  with  you:  for  we  have  heard  that  God  is  with  you. 
Zech.  viii,  23. 


C  I  N  C  I  N  N  AT  I : 

HITCHCOCK   AND   WALDEN, 

NEW  YORK:  NELSON  &  PHILLIPS. 

[876. 


<KVi 


\£> 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1876,  by 

HITCHCOCK  &  WALDEN, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


FAC-SIMILES. 


The  following  Signatures  of  John  Wesley  were  taken 
q^        from  the  originals  : 

^  JdJ^f-u  cJe^r^-y     I?8o 


WESLEY'S   LAST   ENTRY    IN    HIS    PRIVATE  JOURNAL. 

"  N.  B.  For  u/nvards  of  eighty-six  years  I  have  kept  my  accounts 
exactly.  I  wilt  not  attempt  it  any  longer,  being  satisfied  with  the  con- 
tinual  conviction  that  I  save  all  I  can  and  give  all  I  can  ;  that  is,  all  I 
have.    John  Wesley.    July  16,   1790. 


^ 


^ 


Is* 


JOHN  WESLEY'S  LAST  SIGNATURE  IN  THE  JOURNAL  OF  THE  CONFERENCE. 


194421 


EDITOR'S  NOTICE. 


THE  author  of  the  volume  now  presented  to  the 
public  wields  one  of  the  most  prolific  pens  in 
the  Methodist  communion.  His  life  has  extended  over 
some  of  the  most  important  periods  in  the  history  of  the 
Church.  He  has  been  a  close  student  of  the  history  and 
polity  of  the  Church,  and  an  actor  in  some  of  its  most 
interesting  crises  and  stirring  scenes.  His  "Compendium 
of  Methodism,"  one  of  the  most  useful  and  popular  works 
on  that  subject,  is  just  now  passing  into  a  new  edition; 
and  he  now  sends  forth  a  new  history  of  the  Church, 
giving;  a  succinct  account  of  Methodism  in  its  British  and 
early  American  periods,  and  a  fuller  exhibit  of  its  later 
phases  than  any  work  extant,  bringing  the  recital  down 
to  the  present  time.  History  must  first  be  written  by 
contemporaries,  and  yet  contemporary  history  is  always 
more  or  less  partisan.  It  can  not  do  otherwise  than  par- 
take of  the  color  of  the  opinions,  judgments,  and  feelings 
of  the  actors.  It  must  be  left  to  future  generations  to 
pass  impartial  verdicts  on  the  doings  of  the  present. 
Each  actor  who  writes  up  recent  history  writes  from  his 
own  stand-point,  and  the  statements  of  contemporary 
authors  often  conflict.  The  historian  of  the  future  will 
sift  accounts,  balance  probabilities,  and  get  at  truth  often 


4  EDITOR'S  NOTICE. 

at  a  distance  from  either  extreme.  Publishers  have  no 
alternative  but  to  let  an  author  express  his  own  views, 
subject  to  criticism  from  those  who  differ  in  opinion,  or 
from  the  better  informed  in  matters  of  fact.  Dr.  Porter 
took  decided  part  and  expressed  decided  views,  and  in 
these  pages  records  his  own  opinions  on  the  slavery 
question,  lay  delegation,  and  the  New  York  Book  Room 
troubles.  All  these  agitations  have  now  passed  away, 
and  some  of  them  will  require  less  and  less  space  for 
record,  and  will  by  and  by  fade  out  of  the  memory  of 
man  altogether.  As  a  convenient  manual  for  facts  and 
dales,  we  think  the  public  will  be  satisfied  with  the  vol- 
ume  of  Methodist  history  which  is  herewith  submitted. 


PREFACE. 


In  presenting  this  volume  to  the  public,  the  author 
deems  it  appropriate  to  say  that  he  does  not 
pretend  to  any  new  discovery.  The  arrangements 
of  Methodism  require  its  operations  to  go  upon 
record  in  some  shape  from  year  to  year.  Besides,  it 
has  been  fortunate  in  its  historians.  To  say  nothing 
of  the  earlier  writers,  Dr.  Bangs' s  "  History  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,"  in  four  volumes,  will 
always  be  valuable  as  a  repository  of  important  doc- 
uments, some  of  which  are  nowhere  else  in  print; 
but  few  of  our  young  people  take  the  trouble  to 
read  them.  Dr.  Abel  Stevens's  seven  volumes,  three 
on  Methodism  generally,  and  four,  giving  the  history 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United 
States,  are  intensely  interesting,  but  too  voluminous 
for  the  masses.  Multitudes  have  not  the  means  to 
purchase,  or  the  time  to  read  them.  Furthermore, 
both  of  these  authors  leave  the  strange  and  startling 
events  of  the  last  thirty-five  years  entirely  out  of 
sight,  closing  their  volumes  at  the  dawn  of  their  oc- 
currence, leaving  important  principles  and  measures, 


6  PREFACE. 

to  say  nothing-   of  men,    under  reproach,    which  the 
providence  of  God  has  since  vindicated. 

Mr.  Stevens's  condensed  "  History  of  American 
Methodism,"  in  one  octavo  volume  of  608  pages, 
runs  hastily  over  some  of  these  events,  reaching  to 
1866,  but  is  still  so  large  and  expensive  as  to  render 
it  inconvenient  to  many  of  our  people.  Besides,  it 
overlooks  interesting  facts,  which  the  honor  of  the 
Church  now  requires  to  be  developed,  since  others 
are  taking  credit  to  themselves  that  properly  belongs 
to  us. 

The  object  of  the  writer  has  been  to  combine  the 
most  instructive  features  of  Methodist  history  from 
the  beginning  in  their  chronological  order,  and  in  a 
manner  to  bring  them  within  the  reach  of  the  masses 
of  our  people,  both  as  to  price  and  the  time  neces- 
sary to  compass  them.  In  doing  this,  he  has  tabu- 
lated many  statistics,  to  which  few  have  ready  access, 
that  must  often  be  very  useful,  even  to  ministers. 
His  aim  has  been  to  make  the  work  correct  and 
convenient  for  every  body  who  desires  to  mark  the 
providence  of  God  in  the  wonderful  achievements  it 
details. 

Back  of  all  this,  and  underlying  the  whole  plan, 
is  the  profound  conviction  that  many  of  our  people, 
young  and  old,  are  suffering  in  their  faith,  feeling, 
and  power  of  usefulness,  by  not  having  a  better  un- 
derstanding of  what  God  has  done,  and  is  doing,  for 
and   through   the   Church.      Many  are   restricted   in 


PREFACE.  7 

their  undertakings  by  not  appreciating  the  proba- 
bility, if  not  positive  certainty,  of  divine  assistance. 
By  reading  of  His  wonders,  they  will  acquire  confi- 
dence to  trust  Him  and  go  forward. 

Methodism  originated  in  a  little  book,  which 
awakened  its  founders,  and  led  them  to  prayer.  It 
has  been  largely  stimulated  and  promoted  by  other 
books.  The  press  and  the  pulpit  have  worked 
together.  Where  one  has  failed,  the  other  •  has 
succeeded.  When  the  Church  stops  reading  she 
will  stop  growing.  She  needs  to  be  filled  with  facts, 
not  fiction.  The  strongest  incitements  to  faith  and 
right  action  are  found  in  what  God  has  done  by 
small  means  and  under  difficulties.  The  true  history 
of  Methodism  is  its  best  vindication.  We  have  aimed 
to  place  such  a  history  within  the  reach  and  com- 
prehension of  our  young  people,  that  they  may  be 
inspired,  and   carry   forward  the  work  to   its  grand 

consummation. 

THE  AUTHOR. 

Brooklyn,  August  21,  1875. 


CONTENTS. 


Part  First. 

HISTORY  OF  METHODISM  IN   EUROPE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  State  of  Religion  in  the  World,  with  some  Preliminary 
Arrangements  for  the  Introduction  of  Methodism— The  Birth  of 
John  Wesley— His  Peculiar  Training— His  Narrow  Escape  from  the 
Flames— His  Education— Ordained— The  Fervor  of  his  Piety,  and 
Movements  at  Oxford, PaSe  l7 

CHAPTER  II. 

Further  Particulars  of  the  Leading  Spirits  Concerned  in  the 
Origin  of  Methodism— Birth  and  Education  of  Charles  Wesley- 
George  Whitefield— The  Wesleys  in  America— Their  New  Discov- 
ery—Whitefield's  Conversion— His  Ordination— Wesley  Nearing 
the  Point— Charles  Wesley's  Conversion— John's  Heart  "Strangely 
Warmed" — Visits  to  the  Moravians, 35 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Organization  and  Early  Progress  of  Methodist  Societies, 
with  the  Origin  of  Several  of  their  Peculiarities  — Origin  of  Field 
Preaching— The  First  Chapel— The  Progress  of  the  Work  of  God- 
Lay  Preaching  Resisted— Separation  from  the  Moravians— White- 
field's  Defection— The  First  Lay  Preacher— John  Nelson  Called— 
Leanings  toward  the  Moravians— Death  of  Susanna  Wesley,     .     52 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The   Personal   Sacrifices  of  the    Leaders— New  Devices,   and 
Violent  Persecutions— Origin  of  Class-meetings— Watch-meetings— 


IO  CONTENTS. 

Band-meetings — The  Work  in  Germany — John  Evans  Converted — 
Wesley  Mobbed — Other  Exciting  Scenes,       .  .  .  Page  74 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Progress  of  the  Work — The  First  Conferences — Wesley 
Reasons  with  the  Clergy  —  The  Proper  Status  of  Methodism  — 
The  Preachers — Their  Qualifications — Plans  for  Suitable  Books — 
The  Kingswood  School — Character  and  Duty  of  Stewards — Meth- 
odism Carried  to  Ireland — Wesley's  Adherence  to  the  Church — 
Trouble  with  Maxfield  and  Enthusiasm — Mr.  Whitefield  and  Lady 
Huntingdon,  .........         91 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Remarkable  Circumstances — Wesley's  Views  Changing — Ex- 
horters  Provided  for — Miscellaneous  Modifications — The  Call  to  the 
Ministry — Leanings  Toward  Independency — First  Mention  of  Salar- 
ies— A  Dangerous  Point  Safely  Passed — Of  Minutes  and  Statistics — 
Death  of  Whitefield — The  Calvinistic  Controversy — The  Bitterness 
of  Lady  Huntingdon,    .         .         .         ..  .  .  .  ill 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Calvinistic  Methodism — Its  Mission  to  Georgia — Its  Future  in 
Europe — Wesley  and  his  Work — Joseph  Benson — Samuel  Bradburn 
Appears — Methodism  Thought  to  be  Declining — Its  Sympathy  for 
Prisoners — Dr.  Coke  Called — Henry  Moore  Converted — Wesley 
Ordaining  Ministers — The  Deed  of  Declaration  Drawn — Mr.  Wes- 
ley's Letter  to  the  Conference — His  Deed  Carried  into  Successful 
Operation,    . 132 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Wesley's  Labors — His  Later  Conferences — The  Cabinet — Adam 
Clarke  Received — The  Deed  of  Declaration  Confirmed — Service 
During  Church  Hours — William  Bramwell  Received — Wesley's 
Last  Conference  and  Labors — His  Death — Honored  and  Loved  at 
Last  —  Numerical  Progress  of  Methodism  —  Other  Evidences  of 
Usefulness — New  Measures — The  Secret  of  Wesley's  Power  over  the 
Preachers, 150 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Situation  Stated — Dr.  Coke  Hastened  Home — The  Issues 
Involved — The  First  Legal  Conference — The  Second  Conference — 


CONTENTS.  1 1 

The  Controversy  Alarming — How  the  Matter  was  Settled — Alexan- 
der Kilham  and  his  "New  Connection" — Advance  of  the  Cause — 
A  New  Contest  Encountered — New  Missionary  Plan — Bram well's 
Experience  — Weeping  Preachers  —  Radical  Modifications  —  Primi- 
tive Methodist  Church  Formed — Its  Present  Status,       .       Page  165 

CHAPTER  X. 

Further  Missionary  Operations — In  the  West  Indies  and  Other 
Places — Their  Effect  on  Slavery — Emancipation  Proclaimed — Mis- 
sion to  India — Dr.  Coke's  Death — Other  Missions  Established — 
Status  of  Australia — The  Present  Missionary  Work  Under  the  British 
Conference — State  of  the  Work  at  Home  —  The  Ministry  Amply 
Provided  for — Methodism  in  Ireland — Gideon  Ouseley — Ireland 
Saved  for  America — More  Trouble — A  New  Sect  by  Adam  Averell — 
The  Bryanites,     ...  ......  185 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Origin  of  our  Standard  Books — Another  Secession — Its  Re- 
sults— Relations  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church — The  Cen- 
tenary of  Methodism — Other  Important  Events — The  Fly-sheet  Se- 
cession —  Educational  Movements  —  Theological  Schools  —  Other 
Schools  and  Colleges — Conference  Office  and  Book  Room — Organ- 
ism of  the  Wesleyan  Connection,         .....         207 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Appointment  of  Preachers — How  Made — Negotiations 
Sought — Of  the  Benevolence  of  the  Wesleyans — That  of  its  Foun- 
der— How  Employed — The  Contingent  Fund — The  Chapel  Fund — 
The  Preachers'  Auxiliary  Fund — Missionary  Collections — Practical 
Suggestions,  .........         229 


12  CONTENTS. 

Part  Second. 

HISTORY  OF  METHODISM   IN  AMERICA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Settlement  of  the  Country — Providential  Preparation  for 
the  Introduction  of  Methodism — Its  Origin  and  Early  Progress — 
The  Rigging-loft— The  First  American  Chapel— Of  Philip  Embury 
and  Captain  Webb — Strawbridge  in  Maryland — Robert  Williams  in 
New  York — John  King — Richard  Boardman  and  Joseph  Pilmore  on 
the  Field  —  Francis  Asbury  and  Richard  Wright  Arrive  —  Their 
Labors  and  Triumphs, Page  241 

CHAPTER  II. 

Arrival  of  Thomas  Rankin  and  George  Shadford — Rankin 
made  Superintendent  in  the  Place  of  Asbury — The  First  Confer- 
ence— Its  Loyalty  to  Wesley — The  Appointments — The  Members — 
How  Distributed — The  Progress  of  the  Cause — Benjamin  Abbott 
Converted — Powerful  Awakenings — Interruptions  from  the  Revolu- 
tion— Origin  of  the  "  United  Brethren,"       ....  261 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Situation  Stated — The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  Or- 
ganized— The  Working  of  the  System — Jesse  Lee's  Standing  and 
Labors — The  First  College  Started — Proper  Title  Assumed — Pro- 
gress of  the  Cause — Congratulatory  Address  to  Washington — Meth- 
odism in  New  England — Long  Island — A  Council  Devised — Of 
Books  and  Tracts — Sabbath-schools  Originated — The  Work  Com- 
menced in  Massachusetts — In  Lynn — Our  True  Policy,  .         275 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  General  Conference  of  1792 — Restriction  of  the  Appointing 
Power  Attempted — O'Kelley,  and  his  Secession — The  Election  of 
Presiding  Elders  Proposed — The  Progress  of  the  Work — The  Char- 
tered Fund — Incidents  of  the  Work — Remarkable  Men  and  Occa- 
sions— Calvin  Wooster — Henry  Boehm — The  General  Conference 
of  1796 — First  Conferences  in  New  England — Origin  of  Camp-meet- 
ings— Their  Power — General  Conference  of  1800 — Bishops  Asbury 
and  Coke — Whatcoat  Elected  Bishop — Other  Measures  Adopted — 


CONTENTS.  13 

Powerful  Revivals  Followed — Pro-slavery  Mobs  Inaugurated — For- 
bearance Triumphant — A  Conference  in  Boston,  .  Page  298 

CHAPTER  V. 

Of  the  General  Conference  of  1804 — Fanaticism  Among  Presby- 
terians— Death  of  Bishop  Whatcoat — General  Conference  of  1808 — ■ 
A  Delegated  General  Conference  Provided  for — William  M'Kendree 
Elected  Bishop — His  Travels — A  Specimen  of  Conversion — The 
Work  in  the  East — The  First  Delegated  General  Conference — 
Ordaining  Local  Preachers  Approved — Of  Education — The  Book 
Concern  Again — The  War  of  181 2 — The  Brett  Secession — The  Afri- 
can Methodist  Episcopal  Churches  Formed— The  Stilwellites — Death 
of  Dr.  Coke — Another  Prince  Fallen — Methodism  Formally  As- 
sailed— The  General  Conference  of  1816 — New  Bishops,        .        321 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Organization  of  the  Tract  Society — Educational  Institu- 
tions Started — Death  of  Jesse  Lee — The  Missionary  and  Bible 
Society  Formed — General  Conference  of  1820 — Of  the  Appointment 
of  Presiding  Elders — Our  Relations  to  the  British  Conference — To 
Canada — Origin  of  our  Hymn-book — Free  and  Pewed  Churches — 
District  Conferences — Circumstances  Following  the  General  Confer- 
ence of  1820 — General  Conference  of  1824 — Of  Lay  Representa- 
tion— Other  Measures — From  1824  to  1828 — Of  Denominational 
Periodicals — The  Sunday-school  Union  Established — Four  Days' 
Meetings  —  The  Work  Extending  —  Death  of  Freeborn  Garrett- 
son, 344 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  General  Conference  of  1828 — Trouble  with  Reformers — 
Methodist  Protestant  Church  Organized — New  Arrangements  for 
Canada — Events  Following  the  General  Conference  of  1828 — The 
Publishing  Fund — Death  of  Bishop  George — New  Sources  of  Con- 
troversy— Progress  in  Several  Particulars — Of  the  General  Confer- 
ence of  1832 — Achievements  that  Followed — The  Flat-head  Indian 
Mission — The  Departure  of  Two  Bishops,     ....         371 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  General  Conference  of  1836  —  New  Measures  —  Three 
Bishops    Elected  —  Dr.     Fisk's    Character    and    Death  —  Locating 


!4  CONTENTS. 

Preachers  Without  Their  Consent  — Of  Slavery  and  Abolition  — 
Remarkable  Losses— Missions  in  South  America  and  Texas— Origin 
of  our  Missions  Among  the  Germans— The  Mission  to  Oregon 
Largely  Reinforced— The  Centenary  of  Methodism— The  All-absorb- 
ing Question — A  Passing  Reflection — The  General  Conference  of 
1840— The  Bishops'  Address— New  Rule  for  Receiving  Members, 
etc.,  from  Other  Denominations — Other  Measures  Adopted — The 
Close, Page  394 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Great  Revivals — Millerism — Conference  Rights — Of  the  General 
Conference  of  1844 — Of  Bishops — Powers  of  the  Bishops  Denned — 
New  Restrictions  on  the  Itinerancy— The  Ground  Assumed — The 
Argument  For  It — Conflict  with  Providence,  .         .         .         409 

CHAPTER  X. 

Slavery,  and  its  Early  Treatment — Wesley's  Position — The 
Attitude  of  Early  Methodists  in  America — A  Turn  in  the  Tide — 
Original  Principles  Reaffirmed — The  Colonization  Society  Formed — 
Antislavery  Societies  Organized — Origin  of  Methodist  Abolition- 
ism— The  New  England  Conference  Leads  Off — The  New  Hampshire 
Follows — Addresses  of  Bishops  Heckling  and  Others — Injustice  to 
Abolitionists — Zion's  Watchman — The  General  Conference  of  1836 — 
Anti-abolition  Resolutions — No  Southern  Bishop  Elected,       .      422 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Antislavery  Conventions — Leaders  Arraigned — A  Plan  of  Pa- 
cification— Conference  Action  Allowed — Outside  Operations — Seces- 
sional  Indications — General  Conference  of  1840 — Secession  Com- 
pleted, and  its  Early  Effects — Its  Proper  Title  and  Strength — The 
General  Conference  of  1844 — The  Separation  of  the  South — Op- 
posed by  Northern  Conservatives — Other  General  Conferences — 
Errors  Overruled  by  Providence — Effect  of  Methodism  on  Emanci- 
pation— In  the  West  Indies — In  America — Influence  of  Conflicting 
Agencies — The  Providence  of  God  Manifest,  .         .         .         444 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Effect  of  the  General  Conference  of  1844 — How  Opposed — 
Organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South — Its  Re- 
ceipts in  Members   and  Money — Its  Present  Status — The  Colored 


CONTENTS.  1 5 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church — The  General  Conference  of  1848 — 
Death  of  Bishop  Heckling — A  Noble  Character — The  General  Con- 
ference of  1852 — The  Business  Done — The  ATational  Magazine  Au- 
thorized— Of  the  State  of  the  Church — The  Four  Years  Following — 
General  Conference  of  1856 — The  Action  of  the  Conference — A 
New  Court  Provided  for — A  Step  Toward  Ritualism,     .     Page  472 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  General  Conference  of  i860 — Death  of  Bishop  Waugh — 
First  Colored  Bishop — Progress  of  the  Cause  Generally — Lay  Dele- 
gation— Its  Beginning  and  Consummation — Signs  of  the  Times 
Portentous — How  Regarded,         ......         494 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  General  Conference  of  1864— The  Condition  of  the  Church— 
The  State  of  the  War — The  Action  of  the  Conference  Reviewed — ■ 
Delegates  from  Other  Bodies — New  Bishops  Elected — Of  the  Itiner- 
ancy—  Of  Temperance  —  Another  Want  Supplied  —  The  Church 
Extension  Society — The  Close — The  War  Opposed — Republicans 
Triumphant — Lincoln's  Second  Inaugural — Lee's  Surrender — The 
Real  Centenary  Celebrated — The  Financial  Result — The  Freedmen's 
Aid  Society — New  Southern  Conferences — The  Ladies'  and  Pastors' 
Union — General  Conference  of  1868 — Chicago  and  Methodism — 
Important  Circumstances  —  Action  of  Missionary  Conferences  — 
Other  Incidents  of  the  Session,     ......         506 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Methodism  a  Grand  Fact — Progress  from  1868  to  1872 — 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society — The  Management  of  our 
Benevolences  Improved — Of  the  General  Conference  of  1872 — The 
Minard  Plome  —  Mortality  Among  the  Bishops  —  New  Bishops 
Elected — Tabular  Record  of  all  the  Bishops — Missionary  Statistics — 
Our  Numerical  Progress — Methodists  in  the  United  States — Con- 
nected with  the  British  Conference — Official  Statistics — Status  of 
Different  Denominations — Collections  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church — Conference  Statistics — Educational    Institutions,      .      531 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Methodist  Book  Concern — Its  Origin  and  Early  Policy — 
Changes  Adopted — Removal  to  Mulberry  Street — Agents  Elected — 


1 6  CONTENTS. 

The  Cincinnati  House— Success  of  the  Business — Sales — Profits 
Since  1836 — Magnitude  of  the  Business — Integrity  of  the  Agents — 
A  Further  Word  About  Profits— The  Utility  of  the  Concern— Of 
the  Late  Difficulty — The  Report  of  the  Book  Committee — Report 
of  Mr.  Kilbreth— One  More  Ordeal— Conclusion,  .  Page  553 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Relative  Progress  of  Methodism — Reasons  for  its  Rapidity — 
Points  of  Vital  Interest — Distinguished  Laymen  Called — Defenders 
of  the  Faith  —  Popular  Preachers  —  Summerfield  —  George  Cook- 
man— John  N.  Maffit— Edward  T.  Taylor— Closing  Remarks,     576 


Part  First. 
HISTORY  OF  METHODISM  IN  EUROPE. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  STATE  OF  RELIGION  IN  THE  WORLD,  WITH  SOME  PRELIM- 
INARY ARRANGEMENTS  FOR  THE  INTRODUCTION 
OF   METHODISM. 

ONE  hundred  and  thirty-six  years  ago  the  relig- 
ious world  was  divided  into  sects  and  parties, 
much  as  it  is  at  present.  Roman  Catholics  were  in 
the  ascendant,  and  claimed  universal  jurisdiction  by 
divine  right  then,  as  now,  and  enforced  obedience 
to  their  mandates  as  far  as  practicable  by  pains  and 
penalties.  The  Church  of  England,  which  had  grad- 
ually separated  from  Rome,  and  in  the  early  part  of 
the  sixteenth  century  become  entirely  independent, 
with  Henry  VIII  for  its  supreme  head,  was  much 
like  its  abandoned  mother,  spiritually :  proud,  preten- 
tious, hierarchal,  and  oppressive.  Baptists  had  been 
in  organized  existence  more  than  two  hundred  years, 
pressing  their  distinctive  views  of  baptism,  and  had 
made  considerable  headway,  both  in  Europe  and 
America.  Presbyterians,  Independents,  Quakers, 
Dutch,  and  Dutch  Reformed,  Puritans,  Congregation- 
alists.  and  other  classes  of  Christians  were  all  at  work 


1 3  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  THODISM. 

in  their  respective  ways  to  enlighten  and  save  the 
world.  But  there  were  no  Methodists.  The  name 
was  unknown  as  the  representative  of  any  religious 
denomination,  though  it  had  been  reproachfully  ap- 
plied to  a  class  of  non-conformists  more  than  a  hun- 
dred years  before,  of  whom  little  has  been  since  heard. 

Now  we  find  this  name  familiar  in  the  four 
quarters  of  the  globe,  representing  a  numerous  peo- 
ple, holding  about  the  same  faith,  maintaining  much 
the  same  religious  order,  and  all  working  with  more 
or  less  zeal  for  the  conversion  of  the  world  to  Christ. 
The  latest  reports  show  that  nearly  ninety  thousand 
ministers,  traveling  and  local,  and  four  millions  of 
members,  bear  this  novel  name,  and  all  claim  John 
Wesley  as  their  founder  and  leader  under  God.  And 
yet  they  have  never  had  State  patronage,  or  been 
much  favored  by  the  rich  or  great,  but  have  been 
persecuted  almost  every-where,  and  sometimes  even 
unto  death. 

A  work  so  wonderful,  surpassing  every  thing  of 
the  kind  in  the  history  of  religion,  is  worthy  of  con- 
sideration. The  object  of  the  present  writing  is  to 
furnish  a  brief  outline  of  its  history  for  the  encour- 
agement of  its  friends  to  cleave  to  the  old  appliances 
which  God  has  so  highly  honored,  and  push  forward 
heroically  to  still  greater  achievements. 

THE    STATE    OF    RELIGION    AT   THE    BEGINNING. 

To  form  a  proper  estimate  of  the  work,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  glance  at. the  condition  of  affairs  at  the 
outset.  It  is  not  enough  to  say  that  spiritual  relig- 
ion was  in  a  very  low  state.  Infidelity  was  ramp- 
ant.     Voltaire,    the    notorious    French    infidel,    was 


STATE  OF  RELIGION.  1 9 

born  in  1694,  and  shook  the  world  by  his  atheistical 
writings.  Much  of  the  literature  of  the  age  was  not 
tainted  merely  with  his  sentiments,  but  thoroughly 
corrupted.  He  did  not  speak  without  apparent  rea- 
son when  he  predicted  that  Christianity  would  be 
overthrown  throughout  the  world  in  the  next  gener- 
ation. The  Church  was  little  better  than  the  State. 
Sin  in  all  its  vulgar  forms  reigned  every-where.  Vital 
piety  was  unknown  except  to  the  few,  and  they  were 
accounted  fanatics.  "It  was  just  at  the  time,"  said 
Mr.  Wesley,  "when  we  wanted  little  of  filling  up  the 
measure  of  our  iniquities  that  two  or  three  clergymen 
of  the  Church  of  England  began  vehemently  to  call 
sinners  to  repentance."  Think  of  it,  "two  or  three" 
out  of  thousands. 

Bishop  Burnet,  in  his  seventieth  year,  in  his 
profound  love  to  his  people,  says,  "I  can  not  look 
on  without  the  deepest  concern,  when  I  see  the 
imminent  ruin  hanging  over  this  Church,  and,  by 
consequence,  over  the  whole  reformation.  The  out- 
ward state  of  things  is  black  enough,  God  knows; 
but  that  which  heightens  my  fears  rises  chiefly  from 
the  inward  state  into  which  we  have  unhappily 
fallen.  .  .  .  Our  ember  weeks  are  the  burden 
and  grief  of  my  life,"  referring  to  the  ignorance 
of  young  men  coming  to  be  ordained  without  any 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  or  even  of  the  Cat- 
echism. Watts  spoke  of  a  general  decay  in  vital 
religion,  not  in  the  Church  only  but  among  dissen- 
ters, and  urged  "every  one  to  use  all  possible 
efforts"  for  its  recovery. 

It  was  a  sporting,  godless  age.    Frolic  and  fun  seem 
to   have  eaten  out  the  vitals  of  religion,  and  ungod- 


20  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

liness  reigned.  " Ungodliness,"  said  Wesley,  "is 
our  universal,  our  constant,  our  peculiar  character,"  in 
confirmation  of  which  we  might  fill  volumes  from  the 
writings  of  both  friends  and  foes.  The  darkness  of 
that  day  was  so  intense  that  Whiten  eld,  with  all  his 
religious  advantages,  when  agonizing  with  conviction, 
had  no  idea  of  vital  religion ;  for,  he  says,  ' '  I  knew  no 
more  that  I  was  to  be  born  again  in  God,  born  a 
new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus,  than  if  I  was  never 
born  at  all."  And  Mr.  Wesley  though  brought  up  in 
the  Church  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances, 
was  equally  ignorant,  and  had  to  leave  the  country 
and  the  Church  to  obtain  the  light  necessary  to  his 
salvation,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter.  His  brother 
Charles  was  no  better  off,  for  when  John  was  ear- 
nestly seeking  God,  and  confessed  himself  a  sinner, 
he  was  "very  angry,"  and  thought  he  had  done  great 
mischief. 

The  fact  is,  the  Romish  Church  had  long  since 
reduced  religion  to  a  mere  ceremony,  and  her  En- 
glish daughter  had  followed  her  example.  That 
ceremony  duly  observed,  nothing  remained  but  to 
enjoy  life  without  any  satisfactory  evidence  of  ac- 
ceptance with  God,  and  await  the  result.  Some, 
however,  were  rigidly  pious,  according  to  their  light. 
They  were  servants  of  God,  trembling  and  quaking 
before  him,  but  not  happy  sons  and  daughters,  re- 
joicing in  his  love. 

THE    BIRTH    OF    JOHN    WESLEY. 

In  this  state  of  society,  John  Wesley  the  distin- 
guished founder  of  Methodism,  was  born,  at  Ep- 
worth,  England,  June  17,  1703,  old  style.     There  was 


ST  A  TE  OF  RELIGION.  2 1 

nothing  peculiar  about  his  birth,  nor  was  a  birth  any 
strange  event  in  his  father's  family,  he  being  the  sixth 
child  that  had  appeared  there  in  a  very  short  time. 
His  father,  Rev.  Samuel  Wesley,  was  rector  of  the 
Epworth  Church,  having  but  little  income,  and  had 
no  prospect  of  doing  much  for  his  rapidly  growing 
family,  which  at  last  increased  to  nineteen  children. 
With  no  outward  manifestation  of  divine  interest,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  babe  in  the  manger,  the  outlook 
was  not  very  encouraging.  Yet,  as  in  that  case, 
there  was  some  peculiarity  in  the  family  stock.  His 
ancestors  had  been  distinguished  for  intelligence, 
piety,  and  especially  independence  of  thought  and 
action.  His  great  grandfather,  Bartholomew  Wes- 
ley, a  clergyman,  renounced  the  established  Church 
and  joined  the  Puritans,  for  which  he  afterward  suf- 
fered great  persecution  from  the  government,  not 
being  allowed  to  live  within  five  miles  of  any  of  his 
old  parishes.  His  son,  John  Wesley,  inherited  his 
scruples,  and  stood  up  for  the  right  like  a  hero,  but 
was  pursued,  fined,  imprisoned  four  times,  and  wor- 
ried into  the  grave,  just  as  he  was  contemplating  es- 
cape to  America,  at  the  age  of  thirty-four  years, 
thus  overwhelming  his  venerable  and  admiring  father 
with  sorrow  and  death.  And  all  for  non-conformity 
to  the  ritualistic  ceremonies  of  the  English  hierarchy. 
Samuel  Wesley,  the  father  of  John,  was  a  man 
of  great  practical  wisdom  and  piety,  according  to  the 
times  in  which  he  lived.  Inheriting  the  independ- 
ence of  his  ancestors,  however,  he  rejected  their  non- 
conformity, though  he  admired  their  character,  and 
took  orders  in  the  Church.  His  career  at  Oxford 
was  strikingly  illustrated  by  that  of  his  worthy  sons, 


22  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

John  and  Charles,  to  which  we  shall  hereafter  refer, 
being  poor,  economical,  liberal,  religious,  and  active 
in  ministering  to  the  souls  and  bodies  of  the  unfor- 
tunate and  neglected.  He  was  a  good  scholar,  and 
a  voluminous  writer,  with  strong  proclivities  to  poe- 
try, which  kept  him  "beating  rhyme"  all  through 
his  life.  His  preaching  is  said  to  have  been  pointed, 
which,  with  his  High  Church  and  State  politics,  sub- 
jected him  to  much  annoyance  from  his  parishioners, 
who  drummed,  and  fired  guns  about  his  door,  in- 
jured his  dog,  cattle,  and  other  property,  and  twice 
fired  his  house.  Once,  too,  they  arrested  him  on 
some  slight  pretense  as  he  was  leaving  his  Church, 
and  took  him  to  jail,  from  which  he  wrote  to  the 
Archbishop  of  York,  "Now  I  am  at  rest,  for  I  am 
come  to  the  haven  where  I  have  long  expected  to 
be;  and  I  don't  despair  of  doing  good  here  and,  it 
may  be,  more  in  this  new  parish  than  in  my  old  one." 

But  all  this  did  not  break  down  his  spirits.  He 
set  himself  to  benefit  his  fellow-prisoners,  reading 
prayers  daily  and  preaching  Sundays.  Nor  did  his 
equally  heroic  wife  forsake  him.  Writing  to  the 
archbishop  again  he  says,  "'Tis  not  every  one  who 
could  bear  these  things;  but  I  bless  God,  my  wife 
is  less  concerned  with  suffering  than  I  am  in  writing, 
or  than,  I  believe,  your  grace  will  be  in  reading  them. 
When  I  came  here  my  stock  was  but  little  above 
ten  shillings,  and  my  wife's  at  home  scarce  so  much. 
She  soon  sent  me  her  rings,  because  she  had  noth- 
ing else  to  relieve  me  with,  but  I  returned  them." 

We  mention  this  not  to  approve  of  ministers  hold- 
ing on  to  an  unwilling  people,  (for  we  think  that  when 
they  are  persecuted  in  one  city  they  had  better  "flee 


STATE  OF  RELIGION.  23 

into  another  "),  but  to  indicate  the  energetic  character 
of  the  man.  He  had  a  will  and  power  of  endur- 
ance that  knew  no  surrender  where  he  was  sure  that 
he  was  right.  This  characteristic,  though  highly 
commendable,  and  its  opposite  equally  despicable, 
often  leads  people  into  many  ridiculous  embarrass- 
ments, especially  where  it  is  connected  with  religious 
bigotry.  It  did  so  with  this  good  man.  He  was  an 
intense  loyalist,  and,  observing  one  evening  at  the 
close  of  family  prayers,  that  his  wife  did  not  respond 
"Amen"  to  the  prayer  for  the  king,  asked  her  the 
reason.  She  replied  that  she  did  not  believe  in  the 
title  of  the  Prince  of  Orange  to  the  throne.  ' '  If 
that  be  the  case,"  he  replied,  "we  must  part;  for  if 
we  have  two  kings  we  must  have  two  beds."  His 
wife  being  "inflexible,"  he  soon  left,  and  was  gone 
about  a  year,  when  the  king  died,  and  Queen  Anne 
ascended  the  throne.  Being  now  agreed  again,  he 
returned,  and  matters  went  on  harmoniously  between 
them  as  before. 

With  all  this  apparent  austerity,  he  was  genial, 
and  often  not  a  little  humorous,  which  relieved  his 
other  peculiarities.  On  the  whole,  he  was  a  strong, 
good  man,  ahead  of  his  times  in  Christian  enterprise. 
Dr.  Stevens  justly  says:  "He  had  the  zealous  energy 
of  his  Methodist  sons;  and,  had  it  not  expended 
itself  in  incipient  literary  labors,  it  would  probably 
have  led  him  into  extraordinary  evangelical  schemes, 
like  those  which  resulted  in  Methodism."  But,  as  it 
was,  he  seemed  to  foresee  better  days  for  religion. 
"Be  steady,"  he  said  to  his  son  Charles,  when  near- 
ing  his  end;  "the  Christian  faith  will  surely  revive  in 
this  kingdom.      You  will  see  it,  though  I  shall  not." 


24  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Mrs.  Susanna  Wesley,  the  mother  of  John  and 
Charles,  was  a  woman  of  extraordinary  character  and 
capacity.  Her  father,  Dr.  Samuel  Annesley,  was  an 
eminent  Non-conformist  minister,  and  suffered  much 
persecution.  Richard  Baxter  pronounced  him  <l to- 
tally devoted  to  God."  Too  much  can  hardly  be 
said  in  his  praise  as  a  man  or  a  Christian.  Still,  his 
daughter,  imitating  his  independence,  took  sides  in 
the  argument  with  the  Church  against  the  Dissenters 
at  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  and  six  years  after  was 
married  to  Samuel  Wesley — a  thoroughly  educated, 
beautiful  young  lady,  "one  of  the  completest  char- 
acters, moral  and  intellectual,  to  be  found  in  the  his- 
tory of  her  sex."  Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  speaking  of 
her,  says:  "Such  a  woman,  take  her  all  in  all,  I 
have  not  heard  of,  I  have  not  read  of,  nor  with  her 
equal  have  I  been  acquainted."  .  .  .  "Many 
daughters  have  done  virtuously,  but  Susanna  Wesley 
has  excelled  them  all." 

She  seems  to  have  been  a  woman  of  high  com- 
mon-sense, of  vast  capabilities  for  her  position,  and 
wonderful  effectiveness.  Though  she  had  so  large  a 
family,  and  guided  and  educated  them  all  as  few 
mothers  ever  did,  she  found  time  to  keep  herself 
posted  on  the  questions  of  the  day,  so  that  she  was 
able  to  correct  the  errors  of  her  talented  sons,  and 
keep  them  out  of  trouble  to  which  they  were  ex- 
posed. Seeing  that  John  was  becoming  a  little  mys- 
tified by  brooding  over  Thomas  a  Kempis's  "Imita- 
tion," she  wrote  him,  "I  take  Kempis  to  have  been 
an  honest,  weak  man,  who  had  more  zeal  than 
knowledge,"  hitting  the  nail  of  his  error  square  on 
the  head.      How  she  could  find  an  hour  each  morn- 


STATE   OF  RELIGION.  2$ 

ing  and  evening  for  meditation  and  prayer,  with  all 
her  domestic  cares,  it  is  difficult  to  understand,  to 
say  nothing  of  several  important  literary  projects 
which  she  devised.  But  this  is  aside  from  our  point. 
It  is  the  stock  which  we  are  considering,  and  we  find 
it  to  be  of  the  first  order  on  both  sides. 

FAMILY   TRAINING. 

The  education  of  the  Wesleys  was  commenced  at 
the  rectory,  under  the  sole  direction  of  their  mother. 
The  family  school  was  opened  and  closed  with  sing- 
ing, and  continued  from  nine  till  twelve  and  from 
two  till  five.  No  one  was  taught  to  read  until  five 
years  old.  The  system  was  perfect,  and  did  much 
to  lay  the  foundation  of  our  ecclesiastical  economy, 
which  has  attracted  so  much  attention. 

Mrs.  Wesley,  though  opposed  to  Dissenters,  was 
no  slave  to  the  Church,  but  followed  reason  and 
common-sense  in  training  her  children  and  others  for 
God  and  usefulness,  beyond  the  range  of  the  estab- 
lished formulas.  In  the  absence  of  her  husband,  she 
opened  the  rectory  to  her  neighbors,  and  conducted 
religious  service  herself  by  reading  sermons,  prayer, 
and  conversation.  Her  husband  was  horrified  at  such 
an  innovation,  and  wrote  her  accordingly;  but  she 
assured  him  that  she  chose  the  most  awakening  ser- 
mons they  had,  and  allowed  no  worldly  conversation. 
"We  keep  close  to  the  business  of  the  day,"  she 
said,  "and  as  soon  as  it  is  over,  they  all  go  home. 
And  where  is  the  harm  of  this?  I  believe  we  had 
above  two  hundred  hearers  last  Sunday,  and  many 
went  away  for  want  of  room."  Afterward  more  came 
than  ordinarily  attended  the  Church,  with  some  who 

3 


26  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

never  attended,  and  a  considerable  number  were  re- 
formed. The  parish  clerk  was  alarmed,  and  wrote 
to  the  rector  to  hurry  home  and  stay  the  disorder; 
but  he  hesitated  to  take  sides  with  dead  Church 
order  against  his  good  wife  and  her  loving  and  re- 
forming neighbors.  He  proposed  that  she  should 
take  the  responsibility  of  stopping  the  meetings,  to 
which  she  replied,  "Do  not  advise,  but  command 
me  to  desist."  A  distinguished  writer  remarks  that 
in  this  letter — and  it  is  equally  true  of  the  whole 
proceeding — "she  was  bringing  to  its  place  a  corner- 
stone of  the  future  Methodism." 

It  is  a  great  thing  to  be  "born  again,"  "born  of 
the  Spirit,"  but  it  is  almost  equally  necessary  to  the 
best  practical  results  to  be  born  into  the  world  right — • 
of  the  right  stock — and  to  be  educated  from  birth 
for  our  life's  work.  The  Wesley s  had  every  thing 
in  their  birth  and  training  to  adapt  them  to  the  ex- 
traordinary mission  to  which  they  were  called.  Their 
parents  were  first  called,  their  father  a  poet  and 
their  mother  an  organizer  and  a  governess,  and  both 
benevolent,  enterprising,  and  persistent.  In  this 
happy  combination  of  qualities,  we  find  the  Spring 
from  which  Methodism  has  gone  forth  to  replenish  a 
perishing  world. 

Another  event  at  the  rectory  is  worthy  of  notice. 
We  have  referred  to  the  fact  of  its  being  twice  set 
on  fire  by  the  rabble.  In  the  first  instance  it  was 
partially  consumed,  the  family  only  escaping  in  their 
night-clothes,  the  mother  being  considerably  burned. 
Her  safety  having  been  ascertained,  it  was  found 
that  John,  then  six  years  old,  was  missing.  The 
father  attempted  to  reach  his  room,   but  was  driven 


STATE   OF  RELIGION.  2J 

back  by  the  flames  in  despair.  Kneeling  down  upon 
the  ground  to  commend  his  soul  to  God,  the  little 
fellow  awaked,  and,  seeing  his  danger,  ran  to  the 
window  and  was  taken  out  safely  by  one  peasant 
standing  upon  the  shoulders  of  another,  just  as  the 
roof  fell  in.  "Come,  neighbors,"  said  the  father,  as 
he  received  his  son,  "let  us  kneel  down;  let  us  give 
thanks  unto  God.  He  has  given  me  all  my  children, 
let  the  house  go;  I  am  rich  enough."  That  brand 
plucked  out  of  the  fire  has  since  improved  the  spir- 
itual fortunes  of  millions. 

JOHN    WESLEY    LEAVING    HOME. 

At  the  age  of  eleven,  John  was  placed  under  that 
eminent  scholar  Dr.  Walker,  principal  of  the  Char- 
ter House  school.  Here  he  had  some  rather  severe 
experiences,  though  a  favorite  with  his  tutors;  but, 
such  was  his  application,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  was 
elected  to  Christ  Church,  Oxford.  Being  placed  un- 
der Dr.  Wigan,  a  gentleman  of  great  classical  knowl- 
edge, he  pursued  his  studies  with  much  energy.  His 
natural  temper,  it  is  said,  was  gay  and  sprightly, 
with  a  turn  for  wit  and  humor.  Mr.  Babcock  ob 
serves  of  him  that  "when  he  was  about  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  he  appeared  the  very  sensible  and 
acute  theologian — a  young  fellow  of  the  finest  class- 
ical taste,  of  the  most  liberal  and  manly  sentiments. 
His  perfect  knowledge  of  the  classics  gave  a  smooth 
polish  to  his  wit  and  an  air  of  superior  elegance  to 
all  his  compositions." 

Being  about  to  enter  into  deacon's  orders,  his 
attention  was  called  to  the  nature  and  importance  of 
the  work,   and  the  motives  and  qualifications  neces- 


28  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

sary  to  its  successful  prosecution.  Reflection  led  to 
some  just  perception  of  the  magnitude  of  the  under- 
taking, and  that  to  further  investigation.  He  now 
began  to  study  divinity  with  a  new  zest,  and  became 
more  anxious  than  ever  to  enter  into  orders.  Some 
of  the  books  that  occupied  his  attention  were  among 
the  most  spiritual  and  heart-searching  of  the  age, 
such  as  "The  Imitation  of  Christ,"  by  Kempis,  and 
Bishop  Taylor's  "Rules  of  Holy  Living  and  Dying." 
These  made  a  deep  impression,  and  aroused  his 
whole  soul  to  the  subject.  If  they  were  right,  he 
was  wrong.  In  his  extremity,  like  a  true  son,  not 
spoiled  by  a  college  course,  he  wrote  to  his  parents, 
stating  his  difficulties,  and  received  very  able  and  in- 
teresting responses  from  each  of  them.  This  corre- 
spondence drew  out  the  best  thoughts  of  both  pupil 
and  teachers;  but,  while  it  indicates  deep  interest  in 
the  subject  of  religion  generally,  it  betrays  the  want 
of  a  clear  understanding  of  salvation  by  faith. 

ORDAINED  DEACON  AND  RETURNS  TO  EPWORTH. 

Having  fully  prepared  himself  for  the  holy  office, 
according  to  the  standard  of  the  age,  he  was  ordained 
deacon  on  the  19th  of  September,  1725,  by  Dr.  Pot- 
ter, then  Bishop  of  Oxford.  This  only  increased  his 
interest  in  the  study  of  divinity  and  the  classics,  and 
such  became  his  standing  for  character  and  learning 
that  on  the  17th  of  March,  1726,  he  was  elected 
Fellow  of  Lincoln  College,  an  appointment  of  no 
inconsiderable  honor  or  profit,  and  one  that  was  not 
without  its  influence  on  the  work  for  which  Provi- 
dence was  preparing  the  way. 

The  following  Summer  he  spent  at  Epworth  and 


STATE   OF  RELIGION.  29 

Wroote,  reading  prayers,  preaching  twice  on  the  Sab- 
bath, and  otherwise  assisting  his  father  in  the  various 
duties  of  his  parish.  This  situation  was  highly  favor- 
able to  his  interests,  not  only  as  it  gave  him  an 
opportunity  to  cultivate  the  pastoral  office  under  the 
paternal  tuition  of  an  experienced  master,  but  to 
mature  his  knowledge  of  experimental  and  practical 
theology  by  frequent  conversations  with  his  esteemed 
parents,  which  he  did  not  fail  to  improve.  On  the 
2  ist  of  September,  he  returned  to  Oxford,  and  was 
soon  chosen  Greek  lecturer  and  moderator  of  the 
classes,  though  little  more  than  twenty-three  years 
of  age,  and  not  yet  advanced  to  the  master's  degree. 
His  advancement  in  religious  tendencies  was  not 
less  marked.  Writing  to  his  mother  about  this  time, 
he  says:  "The  conversation  of  one  or  two  persons, 
whom  you  may  have  heard  me  speak  of  (I  hope 
never  without  gratitude),  first  took  off  my  relish  for 
most  other  pleasures,  so  far  that  I  despised  them  in 
comparison  of  that.  I  have  since  proceeded  a  step 
further,  to  slight  them  absolutely;  and  I  am  so  little 
at  present  in  love  with  even  company,  the  most  ele- 
gant entertainment  next  to  books,  that,  unless  the 
persons  have  a  religious  turn  of  thought,  I  am  much 
better  pleased  without  them.  I  think  it  is  the  set- 
tled temper  of  my  soul  that  I  should  prefer,  at  least 
for  some  time,  such  retirement  as  would  seclude  me 
from  all  the  world,  to  the  station  I  am  now  in.  Not 
that  this  is  by  any  means  unpleasant  to  me,  but  I 
imagine  it  would  be  more  improving  to  be  in  a  place 
where  I  might  confirm  or  implant  in  my  mind  what 
habits  I  would  without  interruption  before  the  flexi- 
bility of  youth  is  over." 


o0  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

How  to  dispose  of  himself  in  accordance  Avith 
these  predilections  was  not  easy  to  determine.  He 
first  thought  of  a  school  in  Yorkshire,  which  fell  into 
the  hands  of  another  who  stepped  in  before  him. 
His  father,  having  two  livings,  and  not  finding  it  con- 
venient to  obtain  an  assistant  to  his  mind,  now  in- 
vited him  to  become  his  curate,  which  he  did. 

ORDAINED  PRIEST  AND  RETURNS  TO  OXFORD. 

In  July,  1728,  he  was  inducted  into  the  office  of 
priest,  and  soon  after  left  his  curacy  at  the  call  of 
the  rector  of  his  college,  and  returned  to  Oxford. 
Here  he  found  his  brother  Charles  standing  vigor- 
ously up  against  the  tide  of  infidelity  which  was  set- 
ting in  upon  the  students  on  all  sides,  and  united 
with  him  in  the  pursuit  of  learning,  and  in  doing 
good.  Besides  attending  to  the  duties  of  his  office, 
he  became  tutor  to  various  pupils  placed  under 
his  care,  and  labored  assiduously  for  their  welfare. 
His  address  to  the  tutors  of  the  university  indicates 
the  objects  and  spirit  of  his  endeavors.  "Ye  vener- 
able men,"  said  he,  "who  are  more  especially  called 
to  form  the  tender  minds  of  youth,  to  dispel  thence 
the  shades  of  ignorance  and  error,  and  train  them 
up  to  be  wise  unto  salvation;  are  you  filled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost?  with  all  those  fruits  of  the  Spirit 
which  your  important  office  so  indispensably  re- 
quires? Is  your  heart  whole  with  God?  full  of 
love  and  zeal  to  set  up  his  kingdom  on  earth?  Do 
you  continually  remind  those  under  your  care  that 
the  one  rational  end  of  all  our  studies  is  to  know, 
love,  and  serve  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ 
whom  he  hath  sent?     Do  you  inculcate  upon  them, 


STATE  OF  RELIGION.  3  I 

day  by  day,  that  love  alone  never  faileth?  Whereas, 
'whether  there  be  tongues,  they  shall  fail,'  or  philo- 
sophical knowledge,  'it  shall  vanish  away;'  and  that 
without  love  all  learning  is  splendid  ignorance,  pom- 
pous folly,  vexation  of  spirit?  Has  all  you  teach  an 
actual  tendency  to  the  love  of  God,  anct-dyb^nankind 
for  his  sake?  Have  you  an  eye  to  this  end  in  what- 
soever you  prescribe  touching  the  kind,  the  manner, 
and  the  measure  of  their  studies ;  desiring  and  labor- 
ing that  wherever  the  lot  of  these  young  soldiers  of 
Christ  is  cast  they  may  be  so  many  burning  and 
shining  lights,  adorning  the  Gospel  of  Christ  in  all 
things?  And  permit  me  to  ask,  Do  you  put  forth 
all  your  strength  in  the  vast  work  you  have  under- 
taken? Do  you  labor  herein  with  all  your  might, 
exerting  every  faculty  of  the  soul,  using  every  tal- 
ent which  God  hath  lent  you,  and  that  to  the  utter- 
most of  your  power?" 

The  process  by  which  his  mind  had  reached  this 
intensity  of  religious  devotion  is  best  stated  in  his 
own  words,  which  are  as  follows:  "In  the  year 
1725,  being  in  the  twenty-third  year  of  my  age,  I 
met  with  Bishop  Taylor's  'Rules  and  Exercises  of 
Holy  Living  and  Dying.'  In  reading  several  parts 
of  this  book,  I  was  exceedingly  affected  with  that 
part  in  particular  which  relates  to  purity  of  intention. 
Instantly  I  resolved  to  dedicate  all  my  life  to  God: 
all  my  thoughts  and  words  and  actions:  being  thor- 
oughly convinced  that  there  was  no  medium,  but 
that  every  part  of  my  life  must  either  be  a  sacrifice 
to  God  or  to  myself,  that  is,  in  effect,  to  the  devil. 

"In  the  year  1726  I  met  with  Kempis's  'Christian 
Pattern.'    The  nature  and  extent  of  inward  religion, 


3 2  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

the  religion  of  the  heart,  now  appeared  to  me  in 
a  stronger  light  than  ever  it  had  done  before.  I  saw 
that  giving  even  all  my  life  to  God  would  profit  me 
nothing,  unless  I  gave  my  heart,  yea,  all  my  heart, 
to  him.  I  saw  that  simplicity  of  intention  and  pur- 
ity of  affection,  one  design  in  all  we  speak  or  do, 
and  one  desire  ruling  all  our  tempers,  are  indeed  the 
wings  of  the  soul,  without  which  we  can  never  ascend 
to  the  mount  of  God. 

"A  year  or  two  after,  Mr.  Law's  'Christian  Per- 
fection' and  'Serious  Call'  were  put  into  my  hands. 
These  convinced  me  more  than  ever  of  the  absolute 
impossibility  of  being  half  a  Christian.  And  I  deter- 
mined through  his  grace  to  be  all  devoted  to  God, 
to  give  him  all  my  soul,  my  body,  and  my  sub- 
stance. In  1729  I  began  not  only  to  read,  but  to 
study  the  Bible,  as  the  one,  the  only,  standard  of 
truth,  and  the  only  model  of  pure  religion.  Hence, 
I  saw,  in  a  clearer  light,  the  indispensable  necessity 
of  having  the  mind  which  was  in  Christ,  and  of 
walking  as  Christ  also  walked;  even  of  having,  not 
some  part  only,  but  all  the  mind  which  was  in  him, 
and  of  walking  as  he  walked,  not  only  in  many,  or 
in  most  respects,  but  in  all  things.  And  this  was 
the  light  wherein  at  this  time  I  generally  considered 
religion,  as  a  uniform  following  of  Christ,  an  entire 
inward  and  outward  conformity  to  our  Master." 

This  conviction  and  this  consecration  were  cor- 
rect. They  strike  the  topmost  round  of  religious 
possibility.  He  seems  to  have  apprehended  the 
whole  thing  at  a  glance,  and  given  himself  fully  to 
its  pursuit  by  penances  and  prayer,  rather  than  by 
faith  in  Christ. 


STATE  OF  RELIGION.  33 


MOVEMENTS    AT    OXFORD. 


Under  these  convictions  he  entered  more  fully 
into  the  work  of  God.  Conversing  with  his  brother 
Charles,  afterward  with  Mr.  Morgan,  Mr.  Hervey, 
(one  of  his  pupils,  and  author  of  the  " Meditations"), 
Mr.  Whitefield,  and  others,  they  agreed  to  meet  and 
read  divinity  on  Sunday  evenings.  The  next  Sum- 
mer they  began  to  visit  the  prisoners  in  the  Castle, 
and  the  sick  and  poor  in  the  town.  By  degrees  their 
meetings  assumed  a  more  religious  character,  and 
embraced  in  their  exercises  the  careful  examination 
of  the  Greek  Testament,  and  close  personal  conver- 
sation on  the  deep  things  of  God.  To  these  means 
of  spiritual  improvement  they  added  the  observance 
of  the  Wednesday  and  Friday  fasts,  and  the  weekly 
sacrament.  They  were  fifteen  in  number,  and  as  Mr. 
Wesley  observed,   "  all  of  one  Jicart  and  mind." 

Such  a  spectacle  could  but  attract  attention,  espe- 
cially as  religion  was  in  a  low  state;  there  being 
little  of  it  in  the  community,  except  the  form,  and 
scarcely  enough  of  that  to  meet  the  claims  of  the 
municipal  law,  or  the  rules  of  the  university.  Each 
one  spake  of  the  young  men  according  to  his  par- 
ticular fancy;  some  well,  some  ill.  A  rude  youth, 
of  Christ  Church,  observing  the  exact  regularity  of 
their  lives  and  studies,  characterized  them  as  "a  new 
set  of  Methodists ',"  in  allusion  to  a  class  of  ancient 
physicians  distinguished  by  that  name.  The  same 
spirit  of  reproach  which  suggested  the  title  gave  it 
popularity,  and  immortalized  the  young  men  it  was 
designed  to  crush.  Taking  no  offense  at  any  thing, 
and,    withal,    perceiving    that    their   new    cognomen 


34  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

expressed  in  a  word  exactly  what  they  would  be  in  life 
and  godliness,  they  responded  to  it  in  all  cheerful- 
ness, as  their  successors  have  done,  hoping  never 
to  dishonor  it  by  the  least  departure  from  the  ways 
of  well-doing. 

The  history  of  this  little  company  is  full  of  inter- 
est, and  may  be  found  detailed  in  Moore's  "Life  of 
Wesley."  It  is  a  checkered  page,  exposing  the  en- 
mity of  the  carnal  mind,  and  illustrating  the  truth 
of  the  declaration,  "All  that  will  live  godly  in  Christ 
Jesus  shall  suffer  persecution;"  but  not  more  fully 
than  it  confirms  the  encouraging  announcement  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  "He  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth, 
bearing  precious  seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again 
with  rejoicing,  bringing  his  sheaves  with  him."  The 
conflict  was  severe,  but  they  succeeded.  Many  were 
benefited  by  their  endeavors,  and  they  received  a 
hundred-fold  in  discipline  for  the  more  difficult 
achievements  of  coming  days.  Mr.  Wesley  was  the 
master  spirit  of  the  band.  His  absence  from  Oxford, 
only  for  a  few  weeks,  was  attended  with  serious  conse- 
quences in  several  instances,  which  compelled  him  to 
see  the  importance  of  his  presence  to  its  growing  in- 
terests. Hence,  when  urged  to  accept  his  declining 
father's  place  at  Epworth,  a  sense  of  duty  required 
him  to  resist,  and  still  cleave  to  his  pupils  and  the 
little  society  with  which  he  was  surrounded. 


ITS  FO  UNDERS.  3  5 


CHAPTER  II. 

FURTHER  PARTICULARS  OF  THE  LEADING  SPIRITS  CONCERNED 

IN  THE  ORIGIN   OF   METHODISM,   EMBRACING 

THEIR   CONVERSION. 

WE  have  followed  John  Wesley  with  some  par- 
ticularity from  his  birth  to  the  priesthood  and 
fellowship  at  Oxford,  standing  at  the  head  of  the 
"Holy  Clubb. "  Let  us  now  glance  at  some  of  the 
other  master  spirits,  beginning  with 

CHARLES    WESLEY. 

Charles  was  born  December  18,  1708,  more  than 
five  years  after  his  brother  John.  He  was  sent  to 
Westminster,  and  placed  under  the  tuition  of  his 
brother  Samuel.  While  there  Garret  Wesley,  of  Ire- 
land, no  relation  of  his,  however,  except  in  name, 
proposed  to  adopt  and  make  him  heir  to  his  large 
estate;  but  after  due  consideration,  he  declined  the 
generous  overture,  and,  to  use  the  language  of  his 
brother  John,  "made  a  fair  escape"  from  fortune. 
But  Richard  Colley  accepted  the  position,  and  be- 
came distinguished  by  holding  many  important 
offices,  going  to  Parliament,  and  finally  by  becoming 
Baron  Mornington,  the  grandfather  of  the  Marquis  of 
Wellesley  and  the  Duke  of  Wellington. 

Charles  prosecuted  his  studies,  and  was  elected, 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  to  Christ  Church  College, 


:>£  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Oxford.  He  was  healthy  and  buoyant,  never  know- 
ing, as  he  afterward  declared,  "fifteen  minutes  of 
low  spirits"  during  his  life.  Still  he  was  oppressed 
with  religious  convictions  that  he  was  out  of  har- 
mony with  God,  and  far  from  that  communion  with 
him  which  the  Scriptures  represent  as  possible. 
This  was  owing  in  part,  at  least,  to  his  good  mother, 
who  never  ceased  to  bear  him  on  her  heart.  "Now," 
said  she  to  him,  in  good  earnest,  "resolve  to  make 
religion  the  business  of  your  life;  for,  after  all,  that 
is  the  one  thing  necessary.  All  things  besides  are 
comparatively  little  to  the  purposes  of  life." 

He,  too,  read  "Kempis"  and  other  similar  works, 
which  led  to  self-abnegation,  inward  struggles,  and 
outward  sacrifices,  to  merit  and  produce  holiness 
without  faith  in  Christ  and  without  any  certain 
knowledge  of  having  it.  At  Oxford  he  became  one 
of  the  Holy  Club,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the  first 
to  be  called  a  "Methodist."  Here,  too,  he  became 
a  Bachelor  of  Arts  and  a  college  tutor,  and  graduated 
to  the  ministry  in  due  course. 

GEORGE   WHITEFIELD. 

Whitefield  was  born  in  poverty  at  the  Bell  Inn, 
Bristol,  in  17 14,  some  eleven  years  after  John 
Wesley,  and  had  few  opportunities  for  religious  im- 
provement. At  fifteen  years  of  age  he  "put  on  his 
blue  apron  and  his  snuffers,"  and  went  into  the  work 
of  a  "common  drawer."  As  to  his  religious  condi- 
tion, he  says,  "  If  I  trace  myself  from  my  cradle  to 
my  manhood,  I  can  see  nothing  in  me  but  a  fitness 
to  be  damned."  But  the  inevitable  little  work  of 
Thomas  a  Kempis,  which  made  such  an  impression  on 


ITS  FOUNDERS. 


37 


the  Wesleys,  fell  into  his  hands  and  deeply  impressed 
him  with  religious  convictions,  under  which  he  fell 
to  fasting  twice  a  week  for  thirty-six  hours  together 
until  he  fasted  himself  almost  to  death,  praying  many 
times  a  day,  and  going  to  the  church  and  the  sacra- 
ment continually.  Hearing  of  the  Holy  Club  at  Ox- 
ford, ' '  he  loved  them. "  With  these  feelings  he  entered 
the  University  as  a  "poor  student,"  where  he  paid 
his  expenses  chiefly  by  serving  other  students  who 
were  in  better  circumstances.  Here  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Charles  Wesley,  and  found  a  con- 
genial spirit.  Joining  the  Club,  he  says,  "they  built 
me  up  daily  in  the  knowledge  and  fear  of  God,  and 
taught  me  to  endure  hardness  as  a  good  soldier  of 
Jesus  Christ."  Being  impulsive  and  a  fond  admirer  of 
Kempis,  he  veered  at  one  time  toward  Quietism ;  but 
was  converted  by  the  Wesleys,  who  had  been  saved 
from  the  same  error  by  their  excellent  mother.  After 
they  left  Oxford  he  became  the  ruling  spirit  of  the 
Club,  and  maintained  that  rigid  application  to  study 
and  religious  discipline  which  was  to  qualify  him  to 
shake  the  world  by  his  eloquence. 

wesley's  mission  to  America. 

Having  but  just  escaped  the  importunities  of  his 
friends  to  accept  the  rectorship  at  Epworth,  by  the 
assignment  of  that  living  to  another  party,  John 
Wesley  was  designated  as  the  most  suitable  person 
to  take  charge  in  the  Georgia  colony,  as  a  mission- 
ary, both  of  the  colonists  and  the  Indians.  Whether 
he  ought  to  accept  this  call  was  too  grave  a  question  to 
settle  hastily.  Therefore  he  took  time  to  consider, 
and    immediately   wrote    to    his    mother    and    other 


38  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

friends,  as  he  was  wont  do  on  all  questions  of  magni- 
tude. His  mother  replied  in  these  memorable  words : 
"Had  I  twenty  sons,  I  should  rejoice  that  they 
were  all  so  employed,  thougli  I  should  never  see  them 
more."  His  brother  Samuel  acquiesced  in  the  meas- 
ure, as  did  his  eldest  sister,  and  some  others;  but 
still  he  hesitated.  At  length,  however,  after  reason- 
able deliberation,  he  determined  to  leave  Oxford  and 
go  to  America.  His  brother  Charles  signifying  his 
willingness  to  accompany  him,  arrangements  were 
made  for  that  purpose,  and  they  commenced  their 
voyage  about  the  middle  of  October,  1735.  "Not 
to  avoid  want,"  says  Mr.  John  Wesley,  "God  having 
given  us  plenty  of  temporal  blessings,  nor  to  gain  the 
dung  and  dross  of  riches  and  honor ;  but  singly  this,  to 
save  our  souls,  and  to  live  wholly  to  the  glory  of  God. 

They  left  London,  October  14,  1735,  and  found 
on  board  the  ship  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  per- 
sons. The  ship  at  once  assumed  the  aspect  of  a 
church  and  school,  under  the  generally  recognized 
leadership  of  John  Wesley,  having  specified  hours 
for  public  worship,  study,  and  private  devotions. 
(Wesley's  Works,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  14-18.)  The  exam- 
ple of  these  pious  young  ministers  is  worthy  of  the 
careful  study  of  the  traveling  clergy  of  the  pres- 
ent day. 

Their  labors  in  Georgia  were  not  so  successful  as 
they  anticipated,  particularly  among  the  Indians,  and 
their  conflicts  and  sufferings  were  considerable.  The 
fact  is,  John  Wesley,  to  say  nothing  of  his  brother, 
was  a  High-churchman,  and  carried  out  his  honest 
convictions  to  the  letter,  much  like  the  Puseyites  of 
the  present  day.     This  injured  their  influence,   as  it 


ITS  FOUNDERS.  39 

ought  to  have  done.  Then  they  were  ceremonially 
too  religious,  and  imposed  burdens  without  the  joys 
of  salvation,  which  few  of  any  age  or  country  are  in- 
clined to  embrace  except  in  the  immediate  presence 
of  death  and  hell,  and  then  only  as  the  least  of  evils. 
Seeing  that  they  could  effect  nothing  to  their  sat- 
isfaction, they  returned  to  England  wiser  and  better 
men  than  when  they  left  it,  Charles  in  about  one 
year,  by  the  way  of  Boston,  where  he  preached  in 
the  King's  Chapel,  and  John  fifteen  months  later. 
But  their  mission  was  not  a  failure,  though  it  did 
not  succeed  in  its  primary  design.  God's  plans  were 
deeper  and  broader  than  those  of  his  sincere  but 
misguided  servants.  The  truth  is,  anxious  as  Mr. 
Wesley  had  been  to  be  wholly  the  Lord's,  and  scru- 
pulously as  he  had  lived  in  all  godliness  and  honesty, 
he  did  not  know  God  or  himself  or  human  nature, 
and  was  utterly  unprepared  for  the  great  work  for 
which  he  was  being  trained.  He  needed  this  very 
experience,  just  as  much  as  Saul  of  Tarsus  needed  to 
go  to  Damascus  and  see  religion  exemplified  in  Ana- 
nias and  the  other  disciples,  and  be  instructed  by 
them  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  in  order  to  fit  him  for 
his  destined  work.  Notwithstanding  all  his  fastings, 
self-denials,  and  spiritual  agonies,  he  had  never  been 
born  again,  and  was  ignorant  of  justification  by  faith 
and  the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost  as  an  instanta- 
neous work.  He  had  worked  and  suffered  for  salva- 
tion, but  had  not  believed  with  a  heart  unto  righteous- 
ness.  He  hoped  that  he  was  a  Christian,  but  had  no 
joyful  assurance  of  it,  and  therefore  was  more  of  a 
servant  than  a  son  of  God,  and  was  influenced  more 
by  fear  than  love ;  and  yet,  according  to  the  prevail- 


40  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

ing  theology  of  the  day  in  its  brightest  and  purest 
aspects,  he  lacked  nothing  but  continuance  in  well- 
doing to  insure  him  the  highest  enjoyments  of  relig- 
ion here  and  an  inheritance  with  the  saints  hereafter. 

A    NEW    DISCOVERY. 

The  chief  advantage  of  the  Georgia  mission  is 
yet  to  be  stated.  It  was  the  attainment  of  a  proper 
understanding  of  the  new  birth  and  its  influence  on 
the  heart.  This  was  to  come  from  a  source  that 
human  wisdom  would  not  have  suggested,  yet  in 
admirable  accordance  with  the  simplicity  of  the 
divine  plan  of  humbling  the  pride  of  man  and  of 
securing  all  the  glory  of  his  'salvation  to  Him  to 
whom  it  rightfully  belongs. 

When  he  embarked  for  Georgia,  he  found  twenty- 
six  Germans  on  board,  all  members  of  the  Moravian 
Church,  and  deeply  experienced  in  the  things  of 
God.  Observing  their  Christian  deportment,  Mr. 
Wesley  set  himself  to  learn  the  German  language, 
that  he  might  converse  with  them.  The  existence 
of  fear  in  his  own  heart,  and  the  exhibition  of  pecul- 
iar graces  in  the  Moravians,  gave  him  much  trouble. 
Referring  to  them,  he  said:  "I  had  long  observed 
the  great  seriousness  of  their  behavior.  Of  their 
humility  they  had  given  a  continual  proof  by  per- 
forming those  servile  offices  for  the  other  passengers 
which  none  of  the  English  would  undertake,  for 
which  they  desired  and  would  receive  no  pay,  say- 
ing, 'It  was  good  for  their  proud  hearts,  and  their 
loving  Savior  had  done  more  for  them.'  And  every 
day  had  given  them  occasion  of  showing  a  meekness 
which  no  injury  could  move.     If  they  were  pushed, 


ITS  FOUNDERS.  4 1 

struck,  or  thrown  down,  they  rose  again  and  went 
away,  but  no  complaint  was  found  in  their  mouths. 
There  was  now  an  opportunity  of  trying  whether 
they  were  delivered  from  the  spirit  of  fear,  as  well 
as  from  that  of  pride,  anger,  and  revenge.  In  the 
midst  of  the  Psalm  wherewith  their  service  began, 
the  sea  broke  over,  split  the  mainsail  in  pieces,  cov- 
ered the  ship,  and  poured  in  between  the  decks  as  if 
the  great  deep  had  already  swallowed  us  up.  A  ter- 
rible screaming  began  among  the  English;  the  Ger- 
mans calmly  sung  on.  I  asked  one  of  them  afterward, 
'Was  you  not  afraid?'  He  answered,  'I  thank  God, 
no.'  I  asked,  'But  were  not  your  women  and  chil- 
dren afraid?'  He  mildly  replied,  'No,  our  women 
and  children  are  not  afraid  to  die.'  " 

On  reaching  Georgia,  he  had  further  intercourse 
with  these  pious  people,  and  was  more  deeply  con- 
vinced of  the  imperfection  of  his  religion  and  the 
hollowness  of  his  Churchly  pretensions,  though  he 
slept  on  the  ground  and  went  barefooted  to  work  out 
his  salvation. 

THE    RESULT    STATED. 

The  result  of  all  his  study  and  observation  on  his 
own  heart,  during  his  absence,  is  stated  in  his  jour- 
nal.    January  8,   1738,  he  wrote: 

"By  the  most  infallible  of  proofs — inward  feeling — I  am 
convinced,  1.  Of  unbelief,  having  no  such  faith  in  Christ  as 
will  prevent  my  heart  from  being  troubled.  2.  Of  pride 
throughout  my  past  life,  inasmuch  as  I  thought  I  had  what  I 
find  I  have  not.  3.  Of  gross  irrecollection,  inasmuch  as  in  a 
storm  I  cry  to  God  every  moment;  in  a  calm,  not.  4.  Of  lev- 
ity and  luxuriancy  of  spirit,  appearing  by  my  speaking  words 
not  tending  to  edify,  but  most  by  the  manner  of  my  speaking 
of  my  enemies.     Lord,  save  or  I   perish!     Save  me,   1.  By 

4 


42  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

such  a  faith  as  implies  peace  in  life  and  death;  2.  By  such 
humility  as  may  fill  my  heart  from  this  hour  forever  with  a 
piercing,  uninterrupted  sense  that  hitherto  I  have  done  noth- 
ing; 3.  By  such  a  recollection  as  may  enable  me  to  cry  to 
thee  every  moment;  4.  By  steadiness,  seriousness,  sobriety 
of  spirits,  avoiding  as  fire  every  word  that  tendeth  not  to  ed- 
ify, and  never  speaking  of  any  who  oppose  me  or  sin  against 
God  without  all  my  own  sins  set  in  array  before  my  face." 

A  few  days  after,  as  he  was  nearing  the  English 
shore,  he  wrote: 

"I  went  to  America  to  convert  the  Indians;  but  O,  who 
shall  convert  me?  Who  is  he  that  will  deliver  me  from  this 
evil  heart  of  unbelief?  I  have  a  fair  Summer  religion.  I  can 
talk  well — nay,  and  believe  myself — while  no  danger  is  near; 
but  let  death  look  me  in  the  face,  and  my  spirit  is  troubled. 
Nor  can  I  say,  'To  die  is  gain.' 

'I  have  a  sin  of  fear,  that,  when  I've  spun 
My  last  thread,  I  shall  perish  on  the  shore.'" 

On  arriving  home,  and  reviewing  his  whole  life  in 
the  light  of  divine  truth  and  the  developments  of 
Christian  experience  he  had  observed  in  his  German 
friends,  he  wrote  again: 

"And  now  it  is  upward  of  two  years  since  I  left  my  native 
country  in  order  to  teach  the  Georgian  Indians  the  nature  of 
Christianity.  But  what  have  I  learned  myself  in  the  mean 
time?  Why — what  I,  least  of  all,  suspected — that  I,  who  went 
to  America  to  convert  others,  was  never  converted  myself.  / 
am  not  mad,  though  I  thus  speak,  but  speak  the  words  of 
truth  and  soberness,  if  haply  some  of  those  who  still  dream 
may  awake,  and  see  that  as  I  am  so  are  they.  Are  they  read 
in  philosophy?  So  am  I.  In  ancient  or  modern  tongues? 
So  was  I  also.  Are  th£y  versed  in  the  science  of  divin- 
ity? I,  too,  have  studied  it  mauy  years.  Can  they  talk 
fluently  upon  spiritual  things?  The  very  same  I  could  do. 
Are  they  plenteous  in  alms?  Behold,  I  give  all  my  goods  to 
feed  the  poor.  Do  they  give  of  their  labor  as  well  as  of  their 
substance?  I  have  labored  more  abundantly  than  they  all. 
Are  they  willing  to  suffer  for  their  brethren  ?     I  have  thrown 


ITS  FOUNDERS.  43 

up  my  friends,  reputation,  ease,  country;  I  have  put  my  life  in 
my  hand,  wandering  into  strange  lands;  1  have  given  my  body 
to  be  devoured  of  the  deep,  parched  up  with  heat,  consumed 
by  toil  and  weariness,  or  whatsoever  God  shall  please  to  bring 
upon  me. 

"  But  does  all  this  (be  it  more  or  less,  it  matters  not)  make 
me  acceptable  to  God?  Does  all  I  ever  did  or  can  know,  say, 
give,  do,  or  suffer,  justify  me  in  his  sight?  Yea,  or  the  con- 
stant use  of  all  the  means  of  grace  (which,  nevertheless,  is 
meet,  right,  and  our  bounden  duty);  or  that  I  am,  as  touching 
outward  righteousness,  blameless;  or  (to  come  closer  yet)  the 
having  a  rational  conviction  of  all  the  truths  of  Christianity? 
Does  all  this  give  me  a  claim  to  the  holy,  heavenly,  divine 
character  of  a  Christian?  By  no  means.  If  the  oracles  of 
God  be  true — if  we  are  still  to  abide  by  the  law  and  the  testi- 
mony— all  these  things,  though  when  ennobled  by  faith  in 
Christ  they  are  holy  and  just  and  good,  yet  without  it  are 
'dung  and  dross' 

"This,  then,  I  have  learned  in  the  ends  of  the  earth:  that  I 
am  'fallen  short  of  the  glory  of  God;'  that  my  whole  heart  is 
'altogether  corrupt  and  abominable,'  and  consequently  my 
whole  life  (seeing  it  can  not  be  that  'an  evil  tree'  should 
'bring  forth  good  fruit');  that  my  works,  my  own  sufferings, 
my  own  righteousness  are  so  far  from  reconciling  me  to  an 
offended  God,  so  far  from  making  any  atonement  for  the  least 
of  those  sins  which  'are  more  in  number  than  the  hairs  of  my 
head,'  that  the  most  specious  of  them  need  an  atonement 
themselves,  or  they  can  not  abide  his  righteous  judgment; 
that,  having  the  sentence  of  death  in  my  heart,  and  having 
nothing  in  or  of  myself  to  plead,  I  have  no  hope  but  that  of 
being  justified  freely  'through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Jesus.' 
I  have  no  hope  but  that,  if  I  seek,  I  shall  find  the  Christ,  and 
'be  found  in  him,  not  having  my  own  righteousness,  but  that 
which  is  of  God  by  faith.' 

"If  it  be  said  I  have  faith  (for  many  such  things  have  I 
heard  from  many  miserable  comforters),  I  answer,  So  have  the 
devils  a  sort  of  faith,  but  still  they  are  strangers  to  the  cove- 
nant of  promise.  So  the  apostles  had  even  at  Cana  in  Galilee, 
when  Jesus  first  'manifested  forth  his  glory' — even  then  they, 
in  a  sort,  'believed  on  him,'  but  they  had  not  then  'the  faith 
that  overcometh  the  world.'     The  faith  I  want  is  'a  sure  trust 


44 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


and  confidence  in  God  that,  through  the  merits  of  Christ,  my 
sins  are  forgiven,  and  I  reconciled  to  the  favor  of  God;'  that 
faith  which  enables  every  one  that  hath  it  to  cry  out,  '/  live 
not,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me;  and  the  life  which  I  now  live  I 
live  by  faith  in  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me  and  gave  him- 
self for  me!  I  want  that  faith  which  none  has  without  know- 
ing that  he  hath  it;  is  freed  from  sin;  the  whole  body  of  sin  is 
destroyed1  in  him.  He  is  freed  from  fear,  '  having  peace  with 
God  through  Christ,  and  rejoicing  in  the  hope  of  the  glory 
of  God;"  and  he  is  freed  from  doubt,  '  having  the  love  of  God 
shed  abroad  in  his  heart  through  the  Holy  Ghost  which  is 
given  7/nto  him,  which  Spirit  itself  beareih  witness  with  his 
spi?'it  that  he  is  a  child  of  God"  " 

whitefield's  conversion. 

As  before  hinted,  when  the  Wesleys  left  for 
America,  Mr.  Whitefield  naturally  became  the  leader 
of  the  Holy  Club  at  Oxford,  and  had  to  work  on 
without  their  assistance.  His  struggles  were  more 
intense  than  ever,  though  in  the  beginning  of  his 
convictions  at  Bristol  he  lay  "prostrate  on  the 
ground  for  whole  days  in  silent  or  vocal  prayer." 
"God  only  knows,"  he  says,  "how  many  nights  I 
have  lain  upon  my  bed  groaning  under  what  I  felt." 
For  forty  days  during  Lent  he  ate  nothing  but  coarse 
bread  and  tea,  except  on  Saturdays  and  Sundays. 
After  about  seven  weeks  of  unutterable  sufferings, 
God  graciously  gave  him  the  spirit  of  adoption  and 
assured  him  of  his  acceptance.  "O!"  said  he,  after- 
ward, "with  what  joy,  joy  unspeakable,  even  joy 
that  was  full  of  glory,  was  my  soul  filled,  when  the 
weight  of  sin  went  off,  and  an  abiding  sense  of  the 
pardoning  love  of  God,  and  a  full  assurance  of  faith 
broke  in  upon  my  disconsolate  soul.  Surely  it  was 
the  day  of  my  espousals,  a  day  to  be  had  in  ever- 
lasting remembrance.     ...     Go  where  I  would, 


ITS  FOUNDERS.  45 

I  could  not  avoid  the  singing  of  psalms  almost  aloud. 
Afterward,  they  became  more  settled,  and  blessed  be 
God,  saving  a  few  casual  intervals,  have  abode  and 
increased  in  my  soul  ever  since." 

In  this  happy  state  of  mind  he  returned  to  Bris- 
tol, and  was  soon  ordained  by  the  Bishop  of  Glouces- 
ter, "When,"  he  says,  "I  offered  up  my  whole 
spirit,  soul,  and  body  to  God's  sanctuary.  Let  come 
what  will,  life  or  death,  depth  or  height,  I  shall 
henceforward  live  like  one,  who  this  day,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  men  and  angels,  took  the  holy  Sacrament 
upon  the  profession  of  being  inwardly  moved  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  take  upon  me  that  ministration  in 
the  Church.  I  can  call  heaven  and  earth  to  witness, 
that  when  the  Bishop  laid  his  hands  upon  me,  I  gave 
myself  up  to  be  a  martyr  for  Him  who  hung  upon 
the  cross  for  me." 

Without  this  consecration  and  baptism  the  name 
of  Whitefield  would  have  hardly  been  known.  The 
appreciating  bishop  gave  him  five  guineas,  "A  great 
supply,"  said  Whitefield,  "for  one  who  had  not  a 
guinea  in  the  world;"  and  he  returned  to  Oxford, 
after  preaching  his  first  sermon  at  Bristol,  to  push  on 
the  work  of  the  "Holy  Club."  But  such  a  light 
could  not  be  kept  under  that  bushel.  He  was  soon 
called  to  London  and  other  places  to  preach,  and 
every-where  the  people  of  all  classes  flocked  to  hear 
him.  His  word  was  sharper  than  a  two-edged  sword, 
and  though  he  preached  five  times  a  week  he  could 
hardly  get  to  any  pulpit  for  the  throngs  that  crowded 
upon  his  ministry.  Thus  matters  went  on  until  he 
sailed  for  Georgia,  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  Mr. 
Wesley.       But   as    he    sailed    out   of   the    port    Mr. 


46  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Wesley  sailed  into  it  on  his  return,  and  recorded  the 
results  of  his  American  mission  to  which  we  have  re- 
ferred. Mr.  Whitcfield  carried  his  new  life  on  ship- 
board, and  preached,  prayed,  and  lived  with  marked 
effect  on  the  passengers  and  crew.  Finding  that  Mr. 
Wesley  had  left,  he  remained  in  the  colony  but  about 
four  months,  and  then  embarked  for  England.  But 
his  labors  during  this  brief  period  were  incessant, 
and,  we  trust,  lastingly  beneficial,  though  but  few 
traces  of  them  still  remain. 

NEARIXG    THE    POINT. 

Being  oppressed  by  his  new  discoveries,  and  hear- 
ing of  Mr.  Whitefield's  spiritual  emancipation,  Mr. 
Wesley  left  no  means  unemployed  to  obtain  the  bless- 
ing he  so  earnestly  desired.  Count  Zinzendorf,  the 
founder  and  protector  of  the  Moravian  Society,  a 
man  of  learning  and  deep  experience,  coming  into 
the  country  about  that  time,  Mr.  Wesley  consulted 
with  him,  as  he  did  with  one  Peter  Boehler,  another 
pious  Moravian.  They  kindly  listened  to  all  his  diffi- 
culties, and  endeavored  to  impart  such  advice  as  his 
case  required.  It  was  difficult  for  one  of  his  mental 
structure,  education,  and  religious  notions,  to  come 
directly  to  the  point.  The  idea  of  depending  on 
nothing  but  Christ,  and  on  him  now,  for  salvation, 
and  the  correlative  one  of  instantaneous  conversion, — 
a  sentiment  generally  discarded  in  the  Church, — gave 
him  great  trouble.  Still  he  kept  inquiring  and  pray- 
ing with  all  his  heart. 

Thinking  that,  perhaps,  he  ought  to  quit  preaching 
until  he  should  realize  what  he  now  saw  to  be  neces- 
sary, he  asked  his  friend  Boehler  whether  he  should 


ITS  FOUNDERS.  47 

not,  who  replied:  "By  no  means;  preach  faith  till 
you  have  it;  and  then,  because  you  have  it,  you  will 
preach  faith."  "Accordingly,"  says  he,  "I  spake 
clearly  and  fully,  at  Blendon,  to  Mr.  Delamotte's  fam- 
ily, of  the  nature  and  fruits  of  Christian  faith.  Mr. 
Broughton  and  my  brother  were  there.  Mr.  Brough- 
ton's  great  objection  was,  'he  could  never  think  that  I 
had  not  faith,  who  had  done  and  suffered  such  things.' 
My  brother  was  very  angry,  and  told  me  'I  did  not 
know  what  mischief  I  had  done  by  talking  thus.' 
And,  indeed,  it  did  please  God  then  to  kindle  a  fire 
which  I  trust  shall  never  be  extinguished." 

Mr.  Wesley  felt  deeply  for  others  who  were  still 
seeking  to  be  justified  by  the  works  of  the  law,  as 
well  as  for  himself.  Some,  to  whom  he  spoke,  re- 
ceived the  word  gladly,  and  found  rest  to  their  souls 
by  faith;  but  many  doubted.  Nevertheless,  he  com- 
mitted his  whole  being  to  the  work,  and  by  labors 
and  watchings  and  tears,  such  as  alarmed  his  friends, 
and  brought  down  upon  him  the  reproaches  of  even 
many  who  professed  better  things,  to  say  nothing  of 
others,  he  spread  the  truth  of  what  he  believed  to  be 
the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. 

charles  Wesley's  conversion. 

His  brother  Charles  resisted  for  a  time,  but  at 
length  yielded  the  point,  confessed  himself  to  be 
without  God  and  without  hope  in  the  world,  and 
earnestly  sought  redemption  in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb,  even  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  "May  21st," 
says  Mr.  Moore,  his  biographer,  "he  waked  in  hope 
and  expectation  of  soon  attaining  the  object  of  his 
wishes.      At  nine  o'clock  his  brother  and  some  friends 


48  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

came  in,  and  sung  a  hymn.  When  they  left,  he  be- 
took himself  to  prayer.  Soon  afterward,  a  person 
came  and  said  in  a  very  solemn  manner,  'Believe  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  and  thou  shalt  be 
healed  of  all  thine  infirmities.'  The  words  went 
through  his  heart,  and  animated  him  with  confidence. 
He  looked  into  the  Scriptures,  and  read,  'Now,  Lord, 
what  is  my  hope?  truly,  my  hope  is  even  in  thee.'  He 
then  cast  his  eyes  on  these  words,  He  hath  put  a  new 
song  into  my  mouth,  even  a  thanksgiving  linto  our  God; 
many  shall  see  it  and  fear,  and  put  their  trust  in  the  Lord. ' 
Afterward  he  opened  upon  Isaiah  xl,  I,  'Comfort  ye, 
comfort  ye  my  people,  saith  your  God;  speak  ye 
comfortably  to  Jerusalem,  and  cry  unto  her  that  her 
warfare  is  accomplished,  that  her  iniquity  is  pardoned, 
for  she  hath  received  of  the  Lord's  hand  double  for 
all  her  sins.'  In  reading  these  passages  of  Scripture 
he  was  enabled  to  view  Christ  as  '  set  forth  to  be  a 
propitiation  for  his  sins,  through  faith  in  his  blood, '  and 
received,  to  his  unspeakable  comfort,  that  peace  and 
rest  in  God  which  he  had  so  earnestly  sought. 

"The  next  morning  he  waked  with  a  sense  of  the 
divine  goodness  and  protection,  and  rejoiced  in  read- 
ing the  107th  Psalm,  so  nobly  descriptive,  he  ob- 
serves, of  what  God  had  done  for  his  soul.  Yet  he 
had  no  self-confidence.  'This  day,'  says  he,  'I  had 
a  humbling  view  of  my  own  weakness,  but  was  en- 
abled to  contemplate  CJirist  in  Jus  power  to  save  to 
the  uttermost  all  who  come  unto  God  by  him.'  " 

JOHN    WESLEY    STRANGELY    WARMED. 

Though  Mr.  John  Wesley  had  not  yet  realized  the 
fullness  of  what  he  was  urging  upon  the  acceptance 


WS  FOUNDERS.  49 

of  others,  he  was  not  discouraged.  May  24th 
(three  days  after  his  brother's  conversion),  about  five 
in  the  morning,  according  to  his  own  account,  he 
opened  his  Testament  on  these  words,  "TJiere  arc 
given  unto  us  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises,  that 
by  these  ye  might  be  partakers  of  the  divine  nature." 
"Just  as  I  went  out,"  says  he,  "I  opened  it  again 
on  these  words,  'Thou  art  7 10 1  far  from  the  kingdom  of 
God.1  In  the  afternoon  I  was  asked  to  go  to  St. 
Paul's.  The  anthem  was,  'Out  of  the  deep  have  I 
called  unto  thee,  O,  Lord ;  Lord,  hear  my  voice.  O, 
let  thine  ears  consider  well  the  voice  of  my  com- 
plaint. If  thou,  Lord,  wilt  be  extreme  to  mark  what 
is  done  amiss,  O,  Lord,  who  may  abide  it!  But 
there  is  mercy  with  thee;  therefore,  thou  shalt  be 
feared.  O,  Israel,  trust  in  the  Lord;  for  with  the 
Lord  there  is  mercy,  and  with  him  is  plenteous  re- 
demption :  and  he  shall  redeem  Israel  from  all  his  sins. ' 

"In  the  evening  I  went  very  unwillingly  to  a 
society  in  Aldersgate  Street,  where  one  was  reading 
Luther's  'Preface  to  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans.' 
About  a  quarter  before  nine,  while  he  was  describing 
the  change  which  God  works  in  the  heart  through 
faith  in  Christ,  I  felt  my  heart  strangely  warmed.  I 
felt  I  did  trust  in  Christ,  Christ  alone,  for  salvation  ; 
and  an  assurance  was  given  me  that  he  had  taken  away 
my  sins,  even  mine,  and  saved  me  from  the  lazv  of  sin 
and  death. ' ' 

This  was  the  crisis  toward  which  God  had  been 
drawing  him  for  years — the  luminous  point  he  must 
reach  to  be  properly  endowed  for  his  high  calling. 
It  was  indispensable  for  him  to  know  the  things 
whereof  he  affirmed.     This  revelation  of  God  to  his 

5 


5<3  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

soul  assured  him  that  what  he  had  believed  was  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  enabled  him  to  declare  it 
with  unwavering-  confidence.  It  revealed  to  him  the 
nature  and  evidences  of  religion  with  the  clearness  of 
light,  and  gave  him  the  "power  with  God  and  with 
men"  that  was  necessary  to  the  position  which  he 
was  to  occupy. 

In  determining  the  magnitude  of  this  wonderful 
change,  it  must  be  remembered  that  he  regarded  it 
as  the  same  that  he  saw  among  the  Germans  on  ship- 
board, and  that  he  had  sought  ever  since.  It  was 
evidently  more  than  pardon.  His  consecration  being 
complete,  lacking  nothing  so  far  as  he  saw,  or  can 
now  be  discovered,  and  seeking  "all  the  mind  which 
was  in  Christ,"  is  it  not  reasonable  to  believe  that  he 
was  then  and  there  saved  from  all  sin?  Certainly  it 
was  a  more  thorough  work  than  is  generally  ex- 
perienced in  conversion. 

WESLEY    AMONG    THE    MORAVIANS. 

Having  obtained  this  wonderful  sense  of  God's 
love,  Mr.  Wesley  felt  inclined  to  see  more  of  the 
singular  people  who  had  advised  him  in  his  time  of 
distress,  and  took  a  journey  on  foot  to  Herrnhut,  on 
the  borders  of  Bohemia,  where  he  found  about  a 
hundred  houses,  and  a  persecuted  people,  who  had 
fled  from  the  tyranny  of  Romanism  to  enjoy  religious 
liberty.  He  spent  about  two  weeks  with  them,  and 
seems  to  have  enjoyed  it  very  much.  "God,"  he 
wrote,  "has  given  me,  at  length,  the  desire  of  my 
heart.  I  am  with  a  Church  whose  conversation  is  in 
heaven,  in  whom  is  the  mind  that  was  in  Christ,  who 
walk  as  he  walked.  O,  how  high  and  holy 


ITS  FOUNDERS.  5  I 

a  thing  Christianity  is,  and  how  widely  distant  from 
that  which  is  so  called."  He  heard  Christian  David, 
who  struck  the  first  blow  with  his  ax  in  starting  the 
colony,  and  heard  him  say,  speaking  of  justification, 
"The  right  foundation  is  not  your  conviction,  though 
that  is  not  your  own ;  not  your  righteousness,  .  .  . 
but  the  righteousness  and  the  blood  of  Christ.  To 
him  that  believeth  on  God  that  justifieth  the  ungodly, 
his  faith  is  accounted  for  righteousness.  This  do,  then, 
go  straight  to  Christ  with  all  your  ungodliness;  tell 
him,  Thou  seest  that  I  am  ungodly;  I  plead  nothing 
else.  I  do  not  say  that  I  am  humble  or  contrite,  but 
I  am  ungodly;  therefore,  let  thy  blood  be  the  propi- 
tiation for  me."  Every  thing  about  them  was  relig- 
ious; even  their  recreations  and  funerals  resounded 
with  praise  to  God. 

Mr.  Wesley  was  delighted,  and  would  "gladly 
have  spent  his  life"  there  had  he  not  heard  the 
Master  calling  him  to  other  fields.  Gathering  many 
useful  hints  as  to  doctrine  and  discipline,  he  retraced 
his  steps  to  carry  them  into  effect  in  spreading  Scrip- 
tural holiness  over  the  world,  reaching  England  Sep- 
tember,  1738. 


52  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  ORGANIZATION  AND   EARLY  PROGRESS  OF  METH- 
ODIST SOCIETIES,  WITH  THE  ORIGIN   OF   SEVERAL 
OF  THEIR  PECULIARITIES. 

THE  happy  conversion  of  the  three  distinguished 
characters,  detailed  in  the  preceding  chapter, 
made  a  powerful  impression  on  the  public  mind.  In 
their  new  zeal,  they  went  forth  preaching  to  crowded 
assemblies  in  such  demonstration  as  had  never  been 
known  in  England,  and,  of  course,  were  soon  shut 
out  of  the  churches,  and  driven  to  hospitals,  prisons, 
private  dwellings,  and  Moravian  meeting-houses,  to 
which  they  were  always  welcome.  They  had  glor- 
ious times  in  all  these  places,  and  many  were  enabled 
to  believe. 

Speaking  of  a  love-feast,  Mr.  Wesley  says,  '  'About 
three  in  the  morning,  as  they  were  continuing  instant 
in  prayer,  the  power  of  God  came  mightily  upon 
them,  insomuch  that  many  cried  out  for  eNceeding 
joy,  and  many  fell  to  the  ground."  Whitefield  called 
it  a  " Pentecostal  season  indeed." 

THE    FIRST    METHODIST    SOCIETY. 

Following  the  instincts  of  their  new  life,  no  less 
than  the  dictates  of  a  sound  policy,  the  little  band 
had   previously  organized  themselves   into  a    society 


ITS  PROGRESS.  53 

for  mutual  improvement,    agreeing  to    the    following 
regulations : 

1.  That  they  would  meet  together  once  a  week,  to  "confess 
their  faults  one  to  another,  and  pray  one  for  another,  that  they 
might  be  healed." 

2.  That  the  persons  so  meeting  should  be  divided  into  sev- 
eral bands,  or  little  companies,  none  of  them  consisting  of 
fewer  than  five,  or  more  than  ten  persons. 

3.  That  every  one,  in  order,  should  speak  as  freely,  plainly, 
and  concisely  as  he  could,  the  real  state  of  his  heart,  with  his 
several  temptations  and  deliverances  since  the  last  time  of 
meeting. 

4.  That  all  the  bands  should  have  a  conference  at  eight 
every  Wednesday  evening,  begun  and  ended  with  singing  and 
prayer. 

5.  That  any  who  desire  to  be  admitted  into  this  society 
should  be  asked,  What  are  your  reasons  for  desiring  this?  Will 
you  be  entirely  open,  using  no  kind  of  reserve  ?  Have  you 
any  objections  to  any  of  our  orders  ? 

6.  That  when  any  new  member  was  proposed,  every  one 
present  should  speak  clearly  and  freely  whatever  objection  he 
might  have  to  him. 

7.  That  those  against  whom  no  reasonable  objection  ap- 
peared, should  be,  in  order  for  their  trial,  formed  into  one  or 
more  district  bands,  and  some  person  agreed  on  to  assist  them. 

8.  That  after  two  months'  trial,  if  no  objection  then  ap- 
peared, they  should  be  admitted  into  the  society. 

9.  That  every  fourth  Saturday  should  be  observed  as  a  day 
of  general  intercession. 

10.  That  on  the  Sunday  seven-night  following,  there  should 
be  a  general  love-feast,  from  seven  till  ten  in  the  evening. 

11.  That  no  particular  member  should  be  allowed  to  act 
in  any  thing  contrary  to  any  order  of  the  society;  and  that  if 
any  persons,  after  being  therein  admonished,  should  not  con- 
form thereto,  they  should  not  longer  be  esteemed  as  members. 

This  took  place  in  London,  and  has  been  re- 
garded the  origin  of  Methodism.  Mr.  Wesley,  how- 
ever, refers  its  origin  to  three  distinct  periods. 
He    says,     "The    first    rise    of    Methodism    was    in 


54  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

November,  1729,  when  four  of  us  met  together  at  Ox- 
ford. The  second  was  at  Savannah,  in  April,  1736, 
when  twenty  or  thirty  persons  met  at  my  house. 
The  last  was  at  London,  on  this  day  [May  1,  1738], 
when  forty  or  fifty  of  us  agreed  to  meet  together 
every  Wednesday  evening,  in  order  to  free  conversa^ 
tion,  begun  and  ended  with  singing  and  prayer." 
The  reader  can  place  it  to  suit  his  own  judgment. 
But,  if  we  mistake  not,  place  it  where  he  will,  he 
will  recognize  God  as  its  author;  his  glory,  and  the 
best  good  of  man,  its  tendency  and  aim. 

SHUT    OUT    OF   THE    CHURCHES. 

The  Wesley s  were  now  objects  of  special  atten- 
tion. They  had  been  generally  considered  "over- 
much righteous"  for  several  years,  though  they  had 
not  entirely  broken  loose  from  the  prevailing  errors 
of  the  times.  But  now  that  they  had  imbibed  senti- 
ments which,  if  true,  involved  nearly  the  whole  Church 
in  condemnation — branded  their  righteousness  as 
"filthy  rags,"  and  their  long  cherished  hopes  as 
vain  and  deceptive,  they  were  supposed  to  be  crazy. 
And  the  more  so,  because  they  professed  to  have 
demonstrated  the  truth  of  their  doctrine  by  a  joyful 
experience  of  its  provisions  in  ;their  own  souls.  Men 
care  little  about  cold  opinions,  but,  as  one  writer  ob- 
serves, "speak  of  faith  in  such  a  manner  as  makes 
Christ  a  savior  to  the  utmost,  a  most  universal 
help  and  refuge;  in  such  a  manner  as  takes  away 
glorying,  but  adds  happiness  to  wretched  man;  as 
discovers  a  greater  pollution  in  the  best  of  us  than 
we  could  before  acknowledge,  but  brings  a  greater 
deliverance  from  it  than  we  could  before  expect;  if 


ITS  PROGRESS.  55 

any  one  offers  to  talk  at  this  rate,  he  shall  be  heard 
with  the  same  abhorrence  as  if  he  was  going  to  rob 
mankind  of  their  salvation,  their  Mediator,  or  their 
hopes  of  forgiveness." 

Mr.  Wesley  had  been  refused  permission  to  preach 
in  many  of  the  churches  of  London  some  time  before, 
but  now  more  especially.  He  therefore  preached  as 
the  providence  of  God  opened  his  way.  "In  several 
places,  while  he  was  expounding  the  Scriptures,  many 
persons  trembled  and  fell  down  before  him.  Some 
cried  aloud,  and  others  appeared  convulsed  as  in  the 
agonies  of  death.  Many  of  these  were  afterward  emi- 
nent professors  of  the  holiness  and  happiness  of  re- 
ligion, and  declared  they  had  at  the  time  such  a  deep 
sense  of  the  nature  of  sin,  and  of  the  just  wages  of 
it,  that  they  were  constrained  to  cry  aloud  for  the  dis- 
quietude of  their  heart. "    Writing  to  a  friend,  he  says: 

"Though  my  brother  and  I  are  not  permitted  to 
preach  in  most  of  the  churches  in  London,  yet, 
thanks  be  to  God,  there  are  others  left,  wherein  we 
have  liberty  to  speak  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  .  .  . 
Nor  hath  he  left  himself  without  witnesses  of  his  erace 
and  truth.  Ten  ministers  I  know  now  in  England, 
who  lay  the  right  foundation,  '  The  blood  of  Christ 
cleanscth  ?/s  from  all  sin. '  Over  and  above  whom  I 
have  found  one  Anabaptist,  and  one,  if  not  two,  of 
the  teachers  among  the  Presbyterians  here,  wTho,  I 
hope,  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity,  and 
teach  the  way  of  God  in  Truth." 

ORIGIN    OF    FIELD    PREACHING. 

This  was  encouraging,  but  still  the  way  of  these 
good   men  was   hedged    up.     What  could   they  do? 


\ 


56  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Various  plans  were  suggested,  but  they  seemed  to 
look  more  to  this  world  than  to  the  next,  and  were 
therefore  rejected.  Mr.  Whitefield  was  heartily  united 
with  the  brothers  in  the  work  of  God.  But  where 
could  he  preach?  Not  in  the  churches,  for  they  were 
generally  closed;  not  in  private  dwellings,  for  they 
were  too  small.  Preaching  one  day  "with  great 
freedom  of  heart  and  voice,"  to  a  crowded  assembly, 
while  a  thousand  more  stood  around  the  church,  and 
not  a  few  retired  for  want  of  room,  the  happy  thought 
of  proclaiming  the  Word  of  God,  as  Christ  did,  in 
the  open  air,  rushed  upon  his  mind.  He  mentioned 
it  to  a  few  friends,  but  they  did  not  favor  it,  they 
thought  it  disorderly  and  fanatical;  but  after  making  it 
a  matter  of  prayer  for  a  while,  he  betook  himself  to 
the  fields  and  highways,  and  thus  attracted  thousands 
to  hear  the  Gospel  who  would  not  have  gone  to  the 
churches  had  they  been  open.  Mr.  Wesley  hesitated 
a  little  at  this  seeming  irregularity,  but  when  he  came 
to  consider  the  example  of  Christ,  and  that  he  Avas 
excluded  from  the  churches,  "  I  submitted,"  says  he, 
"to  be  yet  more  vile,  and  proclaimed  in  the  high- 
ways the  glad  tidings  of  salvation,  speaking  from  a 
little  eminence  in  a  ground  adjoining  to  the  city 
[Bristol]  to  about  three  thousand  people."  He  did 
not  choose  this  position;  but  accepted  it  as  the  best 
that  was  open  to  him  to  preach  Christ  and  save  souls. 
And  God  evidently  approved,  for  "many  who  had 
set  all  laws,  human  and  divine,  at  defiance,  and  were 
utterly  without  God  in  the  world,  now  fell  before  the 
majesty  of  heaven,  and  acknowledged  that  'a  prophet 
was  sent  among  them.'  Cries  and  tears  on  every 
hand  frequently  drowned  his  voice,  while  many  ex- 


ITS  PROGRESS.  57 

claimed  in  the  bitterness  of  their  soul,  '  What  must 
I  do  to  be  saved?'  Not  a  few  of  these  were  soon 
' filled  with  peace  and  joy  in  believing,'  and  evidenced 
that  the  work  was  really  of  God,  by  holy,  happy, 
and  unblamable  walking  before  him.  Blasphemies 
were  now  turned  to  praise,  and  the  voice  of  joy  and 
gladness  was  found  where  wickedness  and  misery 
reigned  befo're. " 

This  strange  proceeding  attracted  vast  assemblies, 
often  reaching  to  twenty  thousand,  and  came  near 
overwhelming  its  projectors  with  excommunication; 
but  it  was  an  important  measure  for  Methodism. 

THE    FIRST    MEETING-HOUSE. 

One  result  of  it  was  the  formation  of  a  society  in 
Bristol  like  the  one  in  London.  The  object  of  their 
association  was  to  build  each  other  up  in  the  faith 
of  Christ,  in  order  to  which  they  agreed  to  meet 
together.  But  here  was  a  difficulty:  they  had  no 
place  sufficiently  large  to  accommodate  them.  This 
suggested  the  idea  of  building  a  room  to  accommo- 
date such  as  wished  to  be  present  at  the  preaching 
as  well  as  the  society  meetings,  and  accordingly  the 
corner-stone  of  the  first  Methodist  meeting-house  the 
world  ever  sawwas  laid  on  Saturday,   May  12,   1739. 

The  peculiar  settlement  of  this  house,  and  the 
circumstances  which  led  to  it  and  justified  it,  ex- 
plain a  feature  in  Methodist  economy  that  has  not 
been  well  understood.  We  will  give  Mr.  Wesley's 
account  of  the  matter  in  his  own  words.  "I  had 
not  at  first,"  says  he,  "the  least  apprehension  or 
design  of  being  personally  engaged  either  in  the  ex- 
pense of  the  work  or  in  the  direction  of  it,   having 


58  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

appointed  eleven  feoffees,  on  whom  I  supposed  these 
burdens  would  fall,  of  course.  But  I  quickly  found 
my  mistake,  first,  with  regard  to  the  expense,  for 
the  whole  undertaking  must  have  stood  still  had  not 
I  immediately  taken  upon  myself  the  payment  of  all 
the  workmen;  so  that,  before  I  knew  where  I  was, 
I  had  contracted  a  debt  of  more  than  a  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds;  and  this  I  was  to  discharge  how  I 
could,  the  subscriptions  of  both  societies  not  amount- 
ing to  one-quarter  of  the  sum.  And  as  to  the  direc- 
tion of  the  work,  I  presently  received  letters  from 
my  friends  in  London,  Mr.  Whitefield  in  particular, 
backed  with  a  message  by  one  just  come  from  thence, 
that  neither  he  nor  they  would  have  any  thing  to  do 
with  the  building,  nor  contribute  any  thing  toward 
it,  unless  I  would  instantly  discharge  all  feoffees  and 
do  every  thing  in  my  own  name.  Many  reasons 
they  gave  for  this,  but  one  was  enough,  namely, 
'That  such  feoffees  would  always  have  it  in  their 
power  to  control  me,  and,  if  I  preached  not  as  they 
liked,  to  turn  me  out  of  the  room  I  had  built.'  I 
accordingly  yielded  to  their  advice,  and,  calling  all 
the  feoffees  together,  canceled  (no  man  opposing)  the 
instruments  made  before,  and  took  the  whole  man- 
agement into  my  own  hands.  Money,  it  is  true,  I 
had  not,  nor  any  human  prospect  or  probability  of 
procuring  it;  but  I  knew  'the  earth  is  the  Lord's 
and  the  fullness  thereof,'  and  in  his  name  set  out, 
nothing  doubting." 

THE  PROGRESS  AND   MANNER  OF  THE  WORK  OF  GOD. 

From  this  time  the  work  of  God  spread  in  every 
direction,  triumphing  over  the  prejudices  and  opposi- 


ITS  PROGRESS.  59 

tion  of  men  of  various  ranks  and  conditions,  and 
effecting  such  results  on  the  hearts  and  lives  .of  many 
as  had  never  been  seen  before,  and  societies  were 
formed  in  many  places.     Says  Mr.  Wesley: 

"Such  a  work  this  hath  been  in  many  respects 
as  neither  we  nor  our  fathers  had  known.  Not  a 
few  whose  sins  were  of  the  most  flagrant  kind — 
drunkards,  swearers,  thieves,  whoremongers,  adulter- 
ers— have  been  brought  from  darkness  unto  light,  and 
fro7ii  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God.  Many  of  these 
were  rooted  in  their  wickedness,  having  long  gloried 
in  their  shame,  perhaps  for  a  course  of  many  years, 
yea,  even  to  hoary  hairs.  Many  had  not  so  much 
as  a  rational  faith,  being  Jews,  Arians,  Deists,  or 
Atheists.  Nor  has  God  only  made  bare  his  arm  in 
these  last  days  in  behalf  of  open  publicans  and  sin- 
ners, but  many  of  the  Pharisees  also  have  believed 
on  him — of  the  righteous  that  seemed  to  need  no 
repentance — and,  having  received  the  sentence  of 
death  in  themselves,  have  then  heard  the  voice  that 
raiseth  the  dead — have  been  made  partakers  of  an 
inward,  vital  religion,  even  righteousness,  peace,  and 
joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

"The  manner  wherein  God  hath  wrought  this 
work  is  as  strange  as  the  work  itself.  In  any  par- 
ticular soul  it  has  generally,  if  not  always,  been 
wrought  in  one  moment.  As  the  lightning  shineth 
from  heaven,  so  was  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man, 
either  to  bring  peace  or  a  sword ;  either  to  wound  or 
to  heal;  either  to  convince  of  sin  or  to  give  remis- 
sion of  sins  in  his  blood.  And  the  other  circum- 
stances attending  it  have  been  equally  remote  from 
what   human  wisdom  would   have  expected,   so  true 


60  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

is  that  word,  'My  ways  are  not  as  your  ways,  nor 
my  thoughts  as  your  thoughts.'  These  extraordinary 
circumstances  seem  to  have  been  designed  by  God 
for  the  further  manifestation  of  his  work,  to  cause 
his  power  to  be  known,  and  to  awaken  the  attention 
of  a  drowsy  world." 

Not  satisfied  to  confine  the  Gospel  within  the 
limits  of  their  own  country,  these  pioneers  visited 
Wales,  then  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins  of  every 
sort,  where,  finding  the  churches  shut  against  them 
as  at  home,  they  preached  Jesus  in  the  streets  and 
private  dwellings  with  their  usual  power,  and  many 
were  converted  and  united  together  to  run  the  race 
set  before  them.  Griffith  Jones,  a  regular  Welsh 
clergyman,  co-operated  with  them.  Howell  Harris, 
also,  a  layman  of  that  Church,  exhorted  and  prayed 
among  the  poor,  and  established  many  societies,  and 
did  much  good;  but  his  own  people  resisted  him, 
and  refused  him  ordination  to  the  last.  He  was  too 
religious  for  the  times.  Persecution,  extending  to 
much  violence,  attended  the  progress  of  all  these 
good  men ;  but  God  was  with  them,  and  their  work 
remains  to  this  day. 

LAY    PREACHING    RESISTED. 

By  this  time  Mr.  Charles  Wesley  had  overcome 
his  scruples  about  preaching  out  of  Church,  and  had 
joined  with  his  brother  and  Mr.  Whitefield  in  calling 
after  sinners  in  the  highways  and  hedges;  but  he 
was  not  a  little  annoyed  by  the  attempt  of  a  lay- 
man, a  Mr.  Bowers,  to  speak  after  he  had  closed, 
which  was  so  palpable  a  breach  of  Church  order  that 
both  he  and  Mr.  Whitefield  declared  against  it.     The 


ITS  PROGRESS.  6 1 

necessity  of  such  efforts  had  not  yet  appeared,  nor 
had  these  men  of  God  become  so  weaned  from  their 
Church  notions  as  to  countenance  any  divergence 
from  canonical  restrictions.  This  was  the  first  at- 
tempt at  lay  preaching  among  them,  and  it  met  with 
so  much  opposition  that  Bowers  soon  confessed  his 
error;  but  the  spirit  that  throbbed  in  his  bosom  was 
destined  to  speak  out. 

SEPARATION  FROM  THE  MORAVIANS  AND  THE  ADOPTION 
OF  GENERAL  RULES. 

About  this  time  (May  I,  1743)  the  society  in 
London  fell  into  dangerous  errors  by  means  of  the 
Moravians,  with  whom  they  were  associated.  This 
led  to  an  able  discussion  of  the  points  of  difference, 
and  finally  to  the  division  of  the  society  and  the 
separation  of  Mr.  Wesley  from  the  Moravian  body. 
Great  efforts  were  made  to  heal  the  breach,  but  all 
in  vain,  and  probably  for  the  best.  Though  Wes- 
ley's heart  was  with  the  Moravians,  his  judgment 
was  against  reunion.  He  saw  their  weaknesses,  and 
feared  their  influence.  These  differences,  together 
with  the  multiplication  of  societies,  suggested  the 
importance  of  having  some  definite  basis  of  union, 
which,  while  it  should  invite  all  serious  persons  to 
the  highest  privileges  of  the  Gospel,  would  authorize 
the  pastors  of  the  flock  to  eject  such  from  their  fel- 
lowship as  should  prove  themselves  unworthy  of 
confidence.  This  necessity  was  supplied  by  the 
adoption  of  a  most  excellent  plan  of  procedure  in 
London,  Bristol,  Kingswood,  Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 
etc.,  entitled,  "The  General  Rules  of  Our  United 
Societies."     (Wesley's  Works,  Vol.  V,  pp.   190-192.) 


62  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


SEPARATION    OF    MR.    WHITEFIELD. 

Things  now  seemed  to  be  settling  into  a  more 
systematic  and  permanent  state.  The  Wesleys  were 
seeing  eye  to  eye,  as  they  had  not  always  done. 
Mr.  Whitefield  and  various  others  of  the  regular 
clergy  were  with  them  in  spirit,  and  in  effort,  as  far 
as  it  was  practicable,  in  their  different  circumstances, 
and  other  appearances  were  flattering;  but  no  slight 
shade  was  soon  cast  over  their  prospects  by  an 
occurrence  the  least  anticipated.  Mr.  Whitefield  de- 
parted from  the  faith.  Having  made  a  second  tour 
in  America,  extending  from  August,  1739,  to  Janu- 
ary, 1 74 1,  and  been  honored  by  all  classes  as  no 
other  minister  ever  was,  particularly  by  the  Calvinis- 
tic  clergy,  who  greatly  predominated  in  the  colonies, 
he  was  overcome,  and  imbibed  their  sentiments.  Of 
course,  he  could  not  heartily  co-operate  with  Wesley 
as  before,  he  being  an  Arminian,  though  he  had  es- 
tablished no  doctrinal  standard  for  his  societies.  The 
consequence  was  what  might  have  been  expected, 
namely,  debate  and  alienation.  As  an  honest  man, 
Whitefield  felt  obliged  to  preach  Calvinism,  but  did 
it,  no  doubt,  in  a  good  spirit;  but  some  of  his  sym- 
pathizers thought  it  to  be  their  duty  to  explode  what 
they  called  the  Arminian  heresy  in  the  little  societies, 
contrary  to  the  rules  which  forbade  controversy,  and 
they  did  so.  The  first  trouble  occurred  in  London, 
with  one  Acourt,  whom  Charles  Wesley  rejected. 
Appealing  to  his  brother  afterward,  he  asked,  "Do 
you  refuse  to  admit  a  person  into  your  society  only 
because  he  differs  from  you  in  opinion?"  "What 
opinion  do  you  mean?"  inquired  Wesley.     "That  of 


ITS  PROGRESS.  63 

election,"  answered  Acourt,  and  added,  "I  hold  a 
certain  number  is  elected  from  eternity,  and  these 
must  and  shall  be  saved;  and  the  rest  of  mankind 
must  and  shall  be  damned:  and  many  of  your  soci- 
ety hold  the  same."  "I  never  asked  whether  they 
hold  it  or  no,"  repled  Wesley;  "only  let  them 
not  trouble  others  by  disputing  about  it."  "Nay," 
answered  Acourt,  "but  I  will  dispute  about  it; 
because  you  are  all  wrong,  and  I  am  resolved  to  set 
you  all  right."  Being  refused  admission  to  the  soci- 
ety for  this  purpose,  he  said,  "Then  I  will  go  and 
tell  all  the  world  that  you  and  your  brethren  are 
false  prophets,  and  in  one  fortnight  you  will  all  be 
in  confusion."      (Wesley's  Works,  Vol.  Ill,  p.    185.) 

"The  disturbance  which  this  opinion  occasioned 
at  Bristol,  and  the  parts  adjacent,"  says  Mr.  Moore, 
"was  not  so  soon  or  so  easily  quieted.  Mr.  Wesley 
had  permitted  an  excellent  young  man,  Mr.  Cennick, 
afterward  a  minister  of  the  Moravian  Church,  to  pray 
with  and  exhort  the  society  at  Kingswood,  as  well  as 
to  superintend  the  school  during  his  absence.  Mr. 
Cennick  now  embraced  the  doctrine  of  the  decrees; 
and  soon  after  seems  to  have  lost  all  Tove  and  respect 
for  his  former  friend,  speaking  against  him  and  his 
doctrine  with  much  contempt  and  bitterness.  The 
consequence  was  that,  after  some  fruitless  efforts 
to  heal  the  breach,  Mr.  Cennick  departed,  and  car- 
ried off  with  him  about  fifty  of  the  society,  whom 
he  formed  into  a  separate  connection.  Mr.  Wesley 
mourned  over  this  young  man  in  such  a  manner  as 
evinced  that  he  held  him  in  high  esteem." 

Fearing  nothing  for  the  cause,  and  especially  from 
contention,  all  things  being  ordained  from  everlasting, 


64 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


those  who  sympathized  with  Mr.  Whitefield  improved 
every  opportunity  to  make  converts  to  their  new 
opinions.  This  occasioned  no  little  disquietude.  If 
the  doctrines  of  Whitefield  and  his  followers  were 
true,  Methodism  must  be  false.  Being  diametrically 
opposed  to  each  other,  both  could  not  be  true. 

To  meet  the  emergency,  Mr.  Wesley  printed  a 
sermon  on  Predestination,  exposing  the  absurdity  of 
the  particular  views  contended  for  by  the  Calvinists. 
This  gave  considerable  offense,  and  led  to  a  separa- 
tion of  the  two  parties,  an  event  much  to  be  regretted 
in  many  respects;  but  which,  considering  the  doc- 
trinal differences  existing  among  them,  was  indis- 
pensable to  success.  The  truth  is,  the  two  systems 
are  antagonistic  to  each  other.  It  is  not  possible  to 
harmonize  them.  One  of  them  is  essentially  false, 
and  can  not  co-operate  with  the  other  without  creat- 
ing a  controversy.  This  is  true,  whether  we  look  at 
the  subject  in  the  light  of  facts,  philosophy,  or  relig- 
ion. And  hence  we  regard  all  attempts  to  effect  an 
amalgamation  of  religious  elements,  thus  radically 
discordant,  as  worse  than  in  vain.  The  best,  we  be- 
lieve, that  can  be  done  in  such  cases,  is  that  which 
Wesley  and  Whitefield  (bating  the  use  of  some  few 
emphatic  expressions)  did;  namely:  to  separate,  and 
work  out  their  respective  systems;  but  still,  so  to 
love  each  other,  and  the  cause  of  God,  as  to  rejoice 
in  each  other's  success  in  winning  souls  to  Christ. 

"  This,  these  two  men  of  God  did  in  a  high  degree. 
True,  they  spake  perhaps  too  plainly  to  each  other, 
in  a  few  letters  that  passed  between  them ;  but,  after 
all,  they  loved  as  brethren  ;  and  Mr.  Wesley  closed 
the    controversy  by  saying,   "How  easy  it  were    for 


ITS  PROGRESS.  65 

me  to  hit  many  other  palpable  blots,  in  that  which 
you  call  an  answer  to  my  sermon !  And  how  above 
measure  contemptible  would  you  then  appear  to  all 
men,  either  of  sense  or  learning?  But  I  spare  you; 
mine  hand  shall  not  be  upon  you.  The  Lord  be 
judge  between  me  and  thee!  The  general  tenor  both 
of  my  public  and  private  exhortations,  when  I  touch 
thereon  at  all,  as  even  my  enemies  know,  if  they 
would  testify,  is,  'Spare  the  young  man,  even  Absalom, 
for  my  sake'  " 

How  kindly  these  remarks  were  received  is  in- 
dicated by  the  following  words,  in  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Whitefield,  written  some  months  after:  "I  long  to 
hear  from  you,  and  write  this  hoping  to  have  an 
answer.  I  rejoice  to  hear  the  Lord  blesses  your 
labors.  May  you  be  blessed  in  bringing  souls  to 
Christ  more  and  more !  I  believe  we  shall  go  on  best 
when  we  only  preach  the  simple  Gospel,  and  do  not 
interfere  with  each  other's  plan.  .  .  .  Brother 
Charles  has  been  pleased  to  come  and  see  me  twice. 
Behold,  what  a  happy  thing  it  is  for  brethren  to 
dwell  together  in  unity!  That  the  whole  Christian 
world  may  all  become  of  one  heart  and  one  mind; 
and  that  we,  in  particular,  though  differing  in  judg- 
ment, may  be  examples  of  mutual,  fervent,  undis- 
sembled  affection,  is  the  hearty  prayer  of,  reverend 
and  dear  sir,  your  most  affectionate,  though  most 
unworthy,  younger  brother  in  the  kingdom  and 
patience  of  Jesus." 

This  letter  was  answered  in  the  same  brotherly 
spirit,  and  the  mutual  regard  of  these  excellent  men 
suffered  no  diminution  to  the  last.  So  that  Mr. 
Whitefield  found  it  in  his  heart  to  record  in  his  last 

6 


65  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

will  ancf*  testament,  "I  leave  a  mourning  ring  to  my 
honored  and  dear  friends,  and  distinguished  fellow- 
laborers,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  John  and  Charles  Wesley, 
in  token  of  my  indissoluble  union  with  them,  in 
heart  and  Christian  affection,  notwithstanding  our 
difference  in  judgment  about  some  particular  points 
of  doctrine."  Under  the  impulse  of  the  same  feel- 
ing, he  often  expressed  a  wish  to  have  Mr.  Wesley 
preach  his  funeral  sermon,  should  he  die  first.  And 
he  did  so,  giving  a  full  proof  of  profound  love  for  the 
partner  'of  his  youthful  conflicts. 

THE    FIRST    LAY  PREACHER. 

Another  necessity,  arising  from  the  growing  state 
of  the  societies,  was  now  manifest.  Mr.  Wesley's 
desire  was  that  the  established  clergy  should  watch 
over  such  as  he  and  his  associates  had  brought  to 
repentance,  and  encourage  them  in  faith  and  practice, 
as  their  spiritual  interests  required.  But  most  of 
them  did  no  such  thing.  They  acted  more  like  wolves 
than  shepherds,  ridiculing  their  religion,  repelling 
them  from  the  Lord's  table,  and  otherwise  hindering 
rather  than  helping  them.  The  result  was,  many 
turned  back  to  the  world,  and  plunged  into  sin. 

How  to  remedy  this  difficulty  was  a  serious  ques- 
tion. Every  society  needed  a  pastor;  but  the  pastors 
were  few,  and  these  must  travel  all  over  the  king- 
dom. This  suggested  the  appointment  of  some 
layman,  of  deep  piety  and  sound  judgment  in  divine 
things,  to  meet  the  others  and  confirm  them,  by 
reading,  conversation,  and  prayer,  as  he  might  be 
able.  No  other  plan  seemed  at  all  practicable,  and 
this  would  not  always  serve  well,  for  the  want  of  the 


ITS  PROGRESS.  6j 

right  style  of  men,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  case  of 
Mr.  Cennick,  who  was  one  of  the  first  whom  Mr. 
Wesley  honored  with  his  special  confidence,  and  the 
very  first  to  divide  the  society  and  set  up  an  inde- 
pendent meeting. 

The  society  in  London  had  suffered  much  by  false 
teaching,  and  been  considerably  scattered.  There- 
fore, as  Mr.  Wesley  was  about  to  leave  the  city,  he 
appointed  a  young  man,  a  Mr.  Maxfield,  whom  he 
considered  sound  in  the  faith,  to  meet  it  at  the  usual 
times,  and,  by  such  means  as  were  suitable  for  a 
layman,  to  encourage  the  members  to  stand  fast. 
Being  fervent  in  spirit,  and  mighty  in  the  Scriptures, 
he  pleased  and  profited  the  people  greatly,  and  dem- 
onstrated the  wisdom  of  the  lay  pastorate  involved 
in  this  novel  scheme. 

But  Providence  had  designs  beyond  the  mere  ben- 
efit of  the  little  flock.  The  talent  and  energy  of 
Maxfield  attracted  many  to  his  meetings,  whose  atten- 
tion indicated  that  they  were  a  people  prepared  for 
the  Lord.  This  led  him  out  further  than  he  at  first 
designed  or  than  was  consistent  with  the  prevailing 
notions  of  Church  Order  at  that  time.  He  began  to 
preach.  But  notwithstanding  the  measure  was  not 
approved  by  the  Established  Church,  the  Lord  blessed 
it,  and  many  were  deeply  awakened  and  brought  to  the 
joyful  knowledge  of  the  truth.  This,  however,  did 
not  justify  the  "irregularity"  in  the  esteem  of  some. 
There  are  individuals  in  most  places  who  hold  Church 
Order  above  every  other  consideration.  God  must 
work  by  their  rules,  and  sinners  be  converted  in 
their  way,  if  at  all,  or  there  will  be  trouble.  So 
it  was  in  this  case.      While  not  a  few  rejoiced  in  the 


68  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

glorious  results  of  this  strange  innovation,  many  trem- 
bled for  the  honor  of  the  priestly  office,  and  complaint 
was  rife  on  all  sides. 

Mr.  Wesley  being  directly  informed  of  the  dis- 
order, hastened  to  London  to  arrest  it.  But  before 
he  saw  Mr.  Maxfield,  the  timely  advice  of  his  ever 
considerate  and  pious  mother  moderated  his  dis- 
pleasure, and  suggested  the  propriety  of  an  exami- 
nation, which  at  first  was  not  thought  necessary. 
Seeing,  on  his  arrival,  that  something  troubled  him, 
she  inquired  what  it  was;  to  which  he  abruptly 
replied,  "Thomas  Maxfield  has  turned  preacher,  I 
find."  Looking  him  attentively  in  the  face,  "John," 
said  she,  "you  know  what  my  sentiments  have  been. 
You  can  not  suspect  me  of  favoring  readily  any  thing 
of  this  kind.  But  take  care  what  you  do  with  respect 
to  that  young  man,  for  he  is  as  surely  called  of  God 
to  preach  as  you  are.  Examine  what  have  been  the 
fruits  of  his  preaching,  and  hear  him  for  yourself." 
He  did  so,  and  was  constrained  to  say,  "  It  is  the 
Lord.     Let  him  do  what  see  met Ji  to  him  good. " 

"In  other  places,  also,"  says  the  biographer  of 
Mr.  Wesley,  "the  same  assistance  was  afforded." 
But  he  submitted  to  it  with  reluctance.  His  High 
Church  principles  stood  in  his  way.  But  such 
effects  were  produced,  he  frequently  found  himself 
in  the  condition  of  Peter,  who,  being  questioned  in  a 
matter  somewhat  similar,  could  only  relate  the  fact, 
and  say,  "  What  was  /,  that  I  could  withstand  God?" 

JOHN  NELSON  STRANGELY  CALLED. 

But  the  Lord  was  about  to  show  him  greater  things 
than  these.     An  honest  man,  a  mason,  of  Bristol,  in 


ITS  PROGRESS.  6g 

Yorkshire,  whose  name  was  John  Nelson,  coming  up 
to  London  to  work  at  his  trade,  heard  that  word 
which  he  found  to  be  the  "power  of  God  unto  salva- 
tion." Nelson  had  full  business  in  London  and  large 
wages.  But  from  the  time  of  making  his  peace  with 
God,  it  was  continually  on  his  mind  that  he  must 
return  to  his  native  place.  He  did  so  about  Christ- 
mas. His  relations  and  acquaintances  soon  began  to 
inquire  ''what  he  thought  of  this  'new  faith?'  And 
whether  he  believed  there  was  any  such  thing  as  a 
man's  knowing  that  his  sins  were  forgiven?"  John 
told  them,  point  blank,  "That  this  new  faith,  as  they 
called  it,  was  the  'old  faith  of  the  Gospel;'  and  that 
he  himself  was  as  sure  that  his  sins  were  forgiven 
as  he  could  be  of  the  shining  of  the  sun."  This  was 
soon  noised  abroad,  and  more  and  more  came  to  in- 
quire concerning  these  strange  things.  Some  put 
him  upon  the  proofs  of  the  great  truths  which  such 
inquiries  naturally  led  him  to  mention.  And  thus 
he  was  brought  unawares  to  quote,  explain,  com- 
pare, and  enforce  several  parts  of  Scripture.  This 
he  did,  at  first  sitting  in  his  house,  till  the  com- 
pany increased  so  that  the  house  could  not  contain 
them.  Then  he  stood  at  the  door,  which  he  was 
commonly  obliged  to  do  in  the  evening,  as  soon  as 
he  came  from  work.  God  immediately  set  his  seal 
to  what  was  spoken ;  and  several  believed,  and  there- 
fore declared  in  the  midst  of  the  people  that  God 
was  merciful  also  to  their  unrighteousness,  and  had 
forgiven  all  their  sins. 

Here  was  a  preacher,  and  a  large  congregation, 
many  of  whom  were  soundly  converted,  without  the 
direct  agency  of  Mr.  Wesley;  but  he  fully  acquiesced 


JO  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

in  the  work,  and  rejoiced  that  the  thoughts  of   God 
were  not  as  his  thoughts. 

Thus  we  see  the  origin  of  lay  preaching,  to  which 
Methodism,  and  through  it  the  Christian  world,  is  so 
much  indebted.  Who  that  is  not  blinded  by  Popish 
notions  of  apostolic  succession  can  fail  to  see  that  it 
was  a  divine  conception,  and  owes  its  existence  to  the 
direct  appointment  of  Providence?  Though  the  min- 
istry has  greatly  increased  since,  it  has  not  yet  su- 
perseded the  necessity  of  this  appliance,  because  the 
people  have  increased  also,  and,  after  all,  there  are 
fields  of  ministerial  usefulness  to  be  occupied  that  it 
is  not  in  the  power  of  the  regular  clergy  of  all  the 
denominations  to  supply.      But  more  of  this  hereafter. 

LEANINGS  TOWARD  THE   MORAVIANS   COUNTERACTED. 

This  new  development  introduced  Mr.  Wesley 
to  Yorkshire,  where  he  labored  much,  and  where  re- 
ligion has  taken  deeper  root  than  in  almost  any 
other  part  of  England.  It  opened  the  way  also  to 
other  fields,  and  gave  a  new  impetus  to  the  work. 
But  the  day  of  trials  was  not  past.  Since  Mr.  Wes- 
ley's separation  from  the  Moravians,  some  of  his  old 
friends  had  left  him  and  gone  over  to  them ;  but  what 
was  most  painful  of  all,  his  brother  Charles  manifested 
strong  tendencies  in  the  same  direction.  This  was 
a  source  of  profound  sorrow.  But  still  he  trusted  in 
the  Lord,  having  no  separate  interest  to  promote, 
and  wrote  his  brother  a  pathetic  letter,  in  which  we 
find  these  words:  "O!  my  brother,  my  soul  is  grieved 
for  you ;  the  poison  is  in  you ;  fair  words  have  stolen 
away  your  heart.  '  No  English  man  or  woman  is  like 
the    Moravians!'     So   the    matter  is   come   to  a  fair 


ITS  PROGRESS.  /I 

issue.  Five  of  us  did  stand  together  a  few  months 
since,  but  two  are  gone  to  the  right  hand  (Hutchins 
and  Cennick),  and  two  more  to  the  left  (Mr.  Hall 
and  you).  Lord,  if  it  be  thy  Gospel  which  I  preach, 
arise  and  maintain  thine  own  cause." 

This  letter  took  effect,  and  brought  his  brother 
more  fully  into  union  with  himself,  and  into  the  itin- 
erant work.  He  immediately  proceeded  to  Oxford, 
and  from  thence  to  Gloucester,  and  elsewhere,  preach- 
ing Jesus  in  various  places,  but  chiefly  in  the  high- 
ways and  hedges,  from  Whitefield's  pulpit — the  stone 
wall;  and  thousands  flocked  to  hear  him,  upon  whom 
God  wrought  with  power.  Convictions  were  often 
quick  and  distressing,  and  conversions  sudden  and 
clear  as  the  meridian  sun.  To  show  that  God  is  no 
respecter  of  person  or  rank,  the  work  extended  to  all 
grades  of  society,  if  we  except  those  of  the  highest 
fashion  and  folly,  who  generally  avoid  the  Gospel 
altogether,  but  won  its  greatest  conquests  among  the 
laboring  classes.  The  poor  colliers  especially  drank 
deep  at  the  fountain  of  life,  and  manifested  the  most 
astonishing  improvement  that  grace  ever  produced. 
"June  22d,"  says  Mr.  Wesley,  "I  went  again  to  learn 
Christ  among  our  colliers,  and  drink  into  their  spirit. 
We  rejoiced  for  the  consolation.  God  knows  their 
poverty;  but  they  are  rich,  and  daily  entering  into 
his  rest.  They  do  not  hold  it  necessary  to  deny  weak 
faith  in  order  to  get  strong.  Their  souls  truly  wait 
upon  God  in  his  ordinances.  Ye  many  masters, 
come  learn  Christ  of  these  outcasts;  for  know  that, 
except  ye  be  converted,  and  become  like  these  little 
children,  ye  can  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven." 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


THE    POWER    OF   THE    "NEW    RELIGION. 

The  new  religion  also  gave  its  subjects  wonderful 
victory  over  death.  Speaking  of  a  sister  Hooper, 
says  Mr.  Wesley:  "I  asked  her  whether  she  was 
not  in  great  pain.  'Yes,'  she  answered,  'but  in 
greater  joy.  I  would  not  be  without  either.'  'But 
do  you  not  prefer  either  life  or  death?'  She  replied: 
'All  is  alike  to  me.  Let  Christ  choose;  I  have  no 
will  of  my  own.'  I  spoke  with  her  physician,  who 
said  he  had  little  hope  of  her  recovery;  'only,'  he 
added,  'she  has  no  dread  upon  her  spirits,  which  is 
generally  the  worst  symptom.  Most  people  die  for 
fear  of  dying;  but  I  never  met  with  such  people  as 
yours.  They  are  none  of  them  afraid  of  death,  but 
calm  and  patient  and  resigned  to  the  last.'  " 

DEATH    OF    MRS.    SUSANNA   WESLEY. 

The  agency  of  this  noble  woman  in  laying  the 
foundation  of  Methodism  entitles  her  to  everlasting 
remembrance.  As  we  have  seen,  her  sons  were 
rigid  Churchmen,  and  not  only  stuck  fast  to  the 
Establishment,  but  carefully  resisted  any  thing  like 
innovation  upon  its  arrangements.  The  first  attempt 
at  lay  speaking  in  public,  Charles  quashed  at  once. 
John  would  have  suppressed  Maxfield  as  promptly, 
had  not  his  pious  mother  interposed  with  timely  and 
prudent  counsel.  This  saved  Methodism  in  that  mo- 
ment of  danger,  for  that  was  the  hinge  on  which  the 
fortunes  of  the  day  turned. 

She  was  equally  useful  on  other  occasions. 
Spending  her  last  days  with  him  at  the  Foundery, 
she  spared  no  pains  to  aid  him  in  every  emergency. 


ITS  PROGRESS.  73 

July  23,  1742,  she  finished  her  honored  course,  when 
her  children  gathered  about  her  bed  and  sung  a 
psalm,  according  to  her  dying  request.  August  1st, 
they  laid  her  by  the  side  of  her  venerated  husband, 
in  the  presence  of  an  "innumerable  company."  Mr. 
Wesley  afterward  preached  on  the  words,  ' '  I  saw  the 
dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before  God,"  etc.,  "to 
one  of  the  most  solemn  assemblies,"  he  says,  "I  ever 
saw  or  expect  to  see  this  side  eternity." 

7 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   PERSONAL  SACRIFICES   OF  THE    LEADERS — NEW  DEVICES 
AND    VIOLENT    PERSECUTIONS. 

NO  one  who  properly  considers  the  worldly  pros- 
pects of  the  founders  of  Methodism,  had  they 
pursued  the  ordinary  course  of  professional  men,  can 
for  a  moment  question  their  sincerity.  Dr.  White- 
head, who  wrote  to  disparage  them,  paid  them  a 
high  compliment  in  spite  of  his  deep-seated  preju- 
dice, when  contemplating  the  wonderful  effects  of 
their  unrequited  labors.  "  Viewing  itinerant  preach- 
ing in  this  light,"  he  says,  "we  see  its  importance, 
and  must  acknowledge  that  the  authors  of  it  deserve 
great  praise,  especially  as  they  introduced  it  by  their 
own  example,  under  great  difficulties  and  hardships. 
Their  prospects  in  life,  from  their  learning,  their  abil- 
ities, and  their  rank  in  society,  were  all  sacrificed  to 
the  plan  of  itinerancy.  They  had  every  thing  to  lose 
by  it — reputation,  health,  and  the  esteem  of  their 
friends — and  nothing  in  this  world  to  gain  but  great 
bodily  fatigue,  ill  usage  from  the  mob,  and  general 
contempt;  and,  as  only  three  persons  united  together 
in  the  plan,  they  could  not  expect  to  form  any  ex- 
tensive or  permanent  establishment.  It  is  evident 
from  their  writings  that  these  three  servants  of  God 
did  not  look  to  any  distant  consequences  of  their 
proceedings.     They  contented  themselves  with  doing 


PERSONAL  SACRIFICES  AND  PERSECUTIONS.     75 

as  much  good  as  possible  in  the  way  which  opened 
before  them;  and  they  truly  labored,  also,  for  their 
own  continuance  in  the  faith,  knowing  that  unfaith- 
fulness to  their  calling  would  impair,  and  in  the  issue 
destroy  it." 

ORIGIN    OF    CLASS-MEETINGS. 

This  brings  us  to  consider  another  necessity  of 
the  cause,  and  its  supply.  Mr.  Wesley  had  been  in- 
duced to  form  his  followers  into  societies  from  observ- 
ing that  where  they  were  not  thus  formed  they  soon 
relapsed  into  their  former  habits ;  and  the  experiment 
showed  the  wisdom  of  the  measure.  A  little  reflec- 
tion also  convinced  him  that  this  was  the  very  course 
pursued  from  the  beginning  of  Christianity.  He  had 
been  constrained  to  preach  in  the  highways  and  other 
unconsecrated  places  by  the  closing  of  the  churches 
against  him,  and  had  felt  compelled  to  allow  pious 
laymen  to  exhort,  and  even  preach,  by  the  refusal 
of  the  regular  clergy  to  watch  over  the  souls  of 
inquirers  and  give  them  such  instructions  as  they 
needed. 

But  still  there  were  frequent  defections  which 
brought  great  scandal  upon  the  cause,  and  yet  no 
remedy  appeared.  "At  length,"  Mr.  Wesley  re- 
marks, "while  we  were  thinking  of  quite  another 
thing,  we  struck  upon  a  method  for  which  we  have 
cause  to  bless  God  ever  since.  I  was  talking  with 
several  of  the  society  in  Bristol  concerning  the  means 
of  paying  the  debts  there,  when  one  stood  up  and 
said,  '  Let  every  member  of  the  society  give  a  penny 
a  week  till  all  are  paid.'  Another  answered,  'But 
many  are  poor  and  can  not  afford  to  do  it.'     'Then/ 


y6  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

said  he,  'put  eleven  of  the  poorest  with  me,  and,  if 
they  can  give  any  thing,  well.  I  will  call  on  them 
weekly,  and,  if  they  can  give  nothing,  I  will  give  for 
them  as  well  as  for  myself;  and  each  of  you  can  call 
on  eleven  of  your  neighbors  weekly,  receive  what 
they  give,  and  make  up  what  is  wanting.'  It  was 
done.  In  a  while  some  of  these  informed  me  'they 
found  such  and  such  a  one  did  not  live  as  he  ought.' 
It  struck  me  immediately,  'This  is  the  thing,  the  very 
thing,  we  have  wanted  so  long.'  I  called  together 
all  the  leaders  of  the  classes  [so  they  called  the  col- 
lectors], and  desired  that  each  would  make  a  partic- 
ular inquiry  into  the  behavior  of  those  whom  he 
saw  weekly.  They  did  so.  Many  disorderly  walk- 
ers were  detected.  Some  turned  from  the  evil  of 
their  ways;  some  were  put  away  from  us.  Many 
saw  it  with  fear,  and  rejoiced  unto  God  with  rev- 
erence." 

The  same  arrangement  was  soon  adopted  in  Lon- 
don, and  in  all  the  other  societies,  with  the  happiest 
effect.  Each  leader  was  required  to  see  every  mem- 
ber of  his  class  once  a  week,  at  least,  to  inquire  after 
the  prosperity  of  their  souls;  to  advise,  reprove,  or 
exhort,  as  it  was  found  necessary;  to  receive  what 
they  were  disposed  to  give,  and  to  meet  the  minister, 
and  stewards,  etc.,  as  at  the  present  time.  But  at 
first  the  leaders  visited  the  members  at  their  own 
houses.  This  was  soon  found  to  be  inconvenient, 
and,  in  some  cases,  impracticable.  Hence,  it  was 
agreed  that  the  members  of  each  class  should  meet 
together  once  a  week,  and  the  leader  was  required 
to  visit  only  those  who  might  be  absent.  So  much 
for  the  origin  of  our  classes. 


PERSONAL  SACRIFICES  AND  PERSECUTIONS.     J "J 
WATCH-MEETINGS — HOW    ORIGINATED. 

About  this  time  intelligence  reached  Mr.  Wesley 
that  the  brethren  at  Kings  wood  had  fallen  into  the 
practice  of  occasionally  spending  the  greater  part  of 
the  night  in  prayer  and  praise.  At  the  same  time  he 
was  advised  to  put  an  end  to  it,  as  a  disorder  that  could 
not  be  tolerated  without  danger  to  the  cause.  But  the 
fact  that  it  was  a  new  measure  was  not  sufficient  to  sat- 
isfy him  that  it  might  not  be  right  and  useful,  nor  the 
other  fact  that  it  was  opposed.  He  took  time,  there- 
ford,  to  "weigh  the  thing  thoroughly,"  and  finding  a 
practice  among  the  early  Christians  of  much  the 
same  character,  he  could  not  persuade  himself  to  for- 
bid it.  For  the  sake  of  obtaining  fuller  information 
as  to  the  meetings  themselves,  he  sent  word  to  the 
brethren  that  he  would  watch  with  them  on  the  Fri- 
day nearest  the  full  moon.  He  did  so,  preaching  at 
eight  or  nine,  and  continuing  the  exercises  a  little 
beyond  midnight,  praying  and  praising  God  amid  a 
throng  of  spectators.  The  effect  was  good.  God  so 
wrought  by  this  means  that  it  was  introduced  in 
other  places,  and  continued  once  a  month  for  a  long 
time.  Some  of  the  opposers  thought  the  effect 
attributable  to  the  novelty  of  the  thing,  or,  perhaps 
to  the  silence  of  the  night,  to  which  Mr.  Wesley 
wisely  replied:  "I  am  not  careful  to  answer  in  this 
matter.  Be  it  so.  However,  the  impression  then 
made  on  many  souls  has  never  since  been  effaced. 
Now,  allowing  that  God  did  make  use  of  either  the 
novelty  or  any  other  indifferent  circumstance,  in 
order  to  bring  sinners  to  repentance,  yet  they  are 
brought;  and  herein  let  us  rejoice  together." 


J 8  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Thus,  our  watch-meetings  originated,  like  lay 
preaching,  in  what  was  regarded  the  excessive  zeal 
of  individuals;  and  though  by  no  means  as  service- 
able to  the  cause,  they  have  no  doubt  proved  an 
efficient  auxiliary  in  saving  souls  from  death. 

ORIGIN    AND    OBJECT    OF    QUARTERLY   TICKETS. 

It  was  about  this  time  also  that  another  custom 
was  started;  namely,  the  giving  of  quarterly  tickets 
to  the  faithful  of  the  flock.  It  happened  on  this 
wise:  as  the  society  increased,  Mr.  Wesley  saw  the 
necessity  of  greater  care  to  separate  the  precious  from 
the  vile;  and  determined  to  converse  with  each  mem- 
ber once  in  three  months  personally.  In  carrying 
this  purpose  into  effect,  it  occurred  that  it  might 
be  well  for  him  to  give  such  as  he  found  walking  in 
the  truth  some  testimonial  of  character  and  connec- 
tion with  the  society.  For  this  purpose  he  prepared 
a  ticket,  which,  being  publicly  explained,  had  all  the 
form  of  a  full  length  recommendation.  Those  who 
bore  these  tesserce,  as  the  ancients  called  them,  were 
acknowledged  by  their  brethren  of  other  societies,  and 
received  with  cordiality.  They  also  found  ready 
access  to  all  the  society  meetings ;  while  those  whose 
conduct  had  been  such  as  to  render  them  unworthy 
of  receiving  the  quarterly  tickets  were  excluded. 

The  practice  thus  started  has  been  of  excellent 
service  in  more  ways  than  one.  Though  it  has  not 
been  rigidly  carried  out,  particularly  in  this  country,  it 
is,  nevertheless,  among  our  regulations,  and  will  vary  in 
its  application  and  utility  just  as  the  ministry  varies 
in  its  pastoral  fidelity.  Originating  in  an  effort  to  be 
more  critical  in  watching  over  the  flock,  and  defend- 


PERSONAL  SACRIFICES  AND  PERSECUTIONS.     79 

ing  it  from  the  corrupting  influence  of  unworthy 
characters,  it  will  always  be  found  useful  in  the  exe- 
cution of  this  holy  design. 

BAND-MEETINGS HOW  AND    WHY    STARTED. 

The  same  grand  pursuit  suggested  the  band-meet- 
ings also.  Many  were  anxious  for  a  more  intimate 
union.  They  had  conflicts  which  it  would  not  be 
proper  to  detail  in  a  promiscuous  society,  but  in 
relation  to  which  they  needed  counsel  no  less  than  on 
other  points.  "In  compliance  with  their  desire," 
says  Mr.  Wesley,  "I  divided  them  into  smaller  com- 
panies; putting  the  married  or  single  men,  and  mar- 
ried or  single  women,  together.  In  order  to  increase 
in  them  a  grateful  sense  of  all  the  mercies  of  the 
Lord,  I  desired  that  one  evening  in  a  quarter  they 
should  all  come  together,  that  we  might  ' 'eat  bread  (a.s 
the  ancient  Christians  did)  with  gladness  and  singleness 
of  heart."  This  was  the  origin  of  love-feasts,  which 
still  survive  among  us. 

Thus  we  see  that  these  peculiarities  of  Methodism 
were  of  providential  origin,  springing  out  of  the  spir- 
itual necessities  of  the  pious,  and  of  perishing  sin- 
ners. There  seems  to  have  been  no  planning,  no 
human  ingenuity,  no  speculation.  Mr.  Wesley's 
plans  were  the  plans  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  He 
knew  no  other,  he  wanted  no  other,  till  the  necessity 
appeared,  and  the  measure  stood  up  before  him  like 
a  real  presence;  and  then  he  adopted  it  for  the  sake 
of  the  cause,  though  in  doing  so  he  had  to  depart 
from  a  long-cherished  system  of  operations,  to  which 
he  had  adhered  with  undeviating  tenacity,  until  he 
was  born  of  the  Spirit. 


80  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


THE  WORK    STARTING    IN    GERMANY. 

He  had  now  a  number  of  helpers  after  his  own 
heart,  besides  many  class  and  band  leaders,  whose 
services  were  indispensable  to  his  benevolent  designs. 
The  preaching  of  the  Word  was  with  power.  It 
was  generally  extemporaneous,  and  directly  adapted 
to  the  circumstances  of  the  people,  as  the  sermons 
of  other  clergy  were  not.  The  hearers,  even  the  low 
and  despised,  listened  with  astonishment,  and  made 
haste  to  "repent  and  be  converted."  Several  sol- 
diers of  the  British  army,  whom  the  Holy  Spirit  had 
conquered,  going  into  Germany,  began  to  preach 
Jesus  to  the  army,  and  great  was  the  power  of  God 
that  attended  them. 

Mr.  Haime,  writing  to  Mr.  Wesley,  says:  "We 
remained  in  this  camp  eight  days,  and  then  removed 
to  a  place  called  Arsk.  Here  I  began  to  speak 
openly  at  a  small  distance  from  the  camp,  just  in 
the  middle  of  the  English  army.  We  sung  a  hymn, 
which  drew  about  two  hundred  soldiers  together, 
and  they  all  behaved  decently.  After  I  had  prayed,  I 
began  to  exhort  them ;  and,  though  it  rained,  very  few 
went  away.  Many  acknowledged  the  truth;  in  par- 
ticular a  young  man,  John  Greenwood,  who  has  kept 
with  me  ever  since,  and  whom  God  has  lately  been 
pleased  to  give  me  for  a  fellow-laborer.  Our  society 
is  now  increased  to  upward  of  two  hundred,  and  the 
hearers  are  frequently  more  than  a  thousand ;  although 
many  say  I  am  mad,  and  others  have  endeavored  to 
incense  the  field  marshal  against  us.  I  have  been 
sent  for  and  examined  several  times.  But,  blessed  be 
God,  he  has  always  delivered  me." 


PERSONAL  SA ORIFICES  AND  PERSECUTIONS.     8  I 

One  of  his  hearers,  who  cried  out  to  his  comrades 
to  "come  away,  and  not  hear  that  fool  any  longer," 
received  an  arrow  to  his  heart,  and  ' '  roared  out  in  the 
bitterness  of  his  soul,"  till  God  turned  his  heaviness 
into  joy. 

john  evans's  conversion. 

John  Evans  wrote  of  this  same  divine:  "I  be- 
lieved myself  a  very  good  Christian  till  we  came  to 
Winter-quarters,  where  I  met  with  John  Haime. 
But  I  was  soon  sick  of  his  company:  for  he  robbed 
me  of  my  treasures;  he  stole  away  my  gods,  telling 
me  I  and  my  works  were  going  to  hell  together. 
This  was  strong  doctrine  to  me.  When  the  Lord, 
had  opened  my  eyes,  and  shown  me  that  by  grace  we 
are  saved  through  faith,'  I  began  immediately  to  de- 
clare it  to  others,  though  I  had  not  as  yet  experienced 
it  myself.  But  October  23d,  as  William  Clements 
was  at  prayer,  I  felt  on  a  sudden  a  great  alteration 
in  my  soul.  My  eyes  overflowed  with  tears  of  love. 
I  knew  I  was  through  Christ  reconciled  to  God; 
which  inflamed  my  soul  with  fervent  love  to  him, 
whom  I  now  saw  to  be  my  complete  Redeemer.  O, 
the  tender  care  of  Almighty  God  in  bringing  up  his 
children!" 

OPPOSITION    TO  THE  WORK. 

But  it  must  not  be  imagined  that  this  growing 
cause  was  not  opposed.  The  spirit  that  christened 
its  early  friends  "Methodist"  at  Oxford,  found  sym- 
pathy in  other  places.  The  clergy  generally  threw 
themselves  directly  in  the  way,  and  exerted  their  in- 
fluence against  it.  They  had  refused  the  preachers 
the  use  of  their  pulpits,  and  otherwise  treated  them 


82  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

as  heretics  and  vagabonds.  The  drunken  vicar  of 
Epworth,  denied  Mr.  Wesley  the  privilege  of  preach- 
ing in  the  church  of  his  native  place,  where  his  father 
had  been  rector  for  many  years,  and  therefore  he 
preached  on  his  father's  tombstone  to  such  a  congre- 
gation as  Epworth  had  never  seen.  He  did  this  daily 
for  a  week,  and  repeated  the  effort  afterward.  The 
members  in  many  places,  though  correct  in  life  and 
filled  with  the  Spirit,  had  been  repelled  from  the  sac- 
rament, while  infidels  and  swearers,  and  almost 
every  other  kind  of  carnal  and  wicked  men,  had  been 
admitted  without  objection.  Sermons  had  been 
preached  denouncing  the  whole  fraternity  as  a  pesti- 
lent concern,  that  ought  not  be  tolerated;  and  from 
the  bishops  down  to  their  lowest  clerical  vassals,  there 
was  a  hue  and  cry  of  hostility,  not  very  dissimilar  to 
that  raised  by  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  under  the 
ministrations  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

With  such  an  example  in  the  house  of  God, 
among  the  priests  themselves,  it  was  not  difficult  to 
predict  a  storm  from  without,  which  would  have  no 
limits,  except  such  as  God  might  be  pleased  to  in- 
terpose. And  so  it  came  to  pass.  The  new  sect 
being  every-where  spoken  against  by  people  of  rank 
and  religion,  the  tools  by  which  they  execute  their 
nefarious  and  illegal  will, — the  rabble, — pursued  them 
from  place  to  place  with  sword  in  hand,  and,  but  for 
the  protection  of  Omnipotence  would  have  hurled 
them  to  oblivion. 

In  London,  the  society  was  often  attacked  with 
showers  of  stones;  and  once  an  attempt  was  made 
to  unroof  the  Foundery  where  they  were  assembled; 
and  for  some  time  there  seemed   to  be   no    redress. 


PERSONAL  SACRIFICES  AND  PERSECUTIONS.     8$ 

In  the  beginning  of  1743  Mr.  Wesley  visited  Wed- 
nesbury,  where,  in  the  course  of  three  months,  so 
powerful  was  the  work  of  God,  a  society  was  formed, 
consisting  of  some  three  or  four  hundred  members. 
But  Satan  came  also  among  them.  The  minister  of 
the  place,  with  several  Justices,  stirred  up  the  baser 
sort  of  people  to  outrages  of  the  grossest  kind. 
"Mobs  were  summoned  *  together  by  the  sound  of 
the  horn;  men,  women,  and  children,  were  abused 
in  the  most  shocking  manner,  being  beaten,  stoned, 
and  covered  with  mud.  Women  in  delicate  circum- 
stances were  treated  in  a  manner  that  can  not  be 
mentioned.  In  the  mean  time,  their  houses  were 
broken  open  by  any  that  pleased,  and  their  goods 
spoiled  or  carried  away;  some  of  the  owners  stand- 
ing by,  but  not  daring  to  oppose,  as  it  would  have 
been  at  the  peril  of  their  lives." 

MR.    WESLEY   MOBBED. 

We  have  room  to  narrate  the  circumstances  of 
only  one  or  two  mobs,  among  the  hundreds  which  the 
infant  Church  was  called  to  endure.  But  these  suffi- 
ciently indicate  the  ferocity  of  the  enemies,  and  the 
kind  intervention  of  Divine  Providence,  to  give  some 
idea  of  what  early  Methodism  had  to  withstand,  and 
the  help  she  obtained.  We  give  the  account  in  Mr. 
Wesley's  own  words.  The  scene  of  the  transactions 
was  Wednesbury,  where  he  preached  in  the  open  air, 
at  twelve  o'clock.      He  says: 

"I  was  writing  at  Francis  Ward's  in  the  afternoon,  when 
the  cry  arose  that  'the  mob  had  beset  the  house.'  We  prayed 
that  God  would  disperse  them.  And  it  was  so  ;  so  that  in  half 
an  hour  not  a  man  was  left.     I  told  our  brethren,  'Now  is  the 


84  HISTOR  Y  OF  METHODISM. 

time  for  us  to  go;'  but  they  pressed  me  exceedingly  to  stay. 
So,  that  I  might  not  offend  them,  I  sat  down,  though  I  foresaw 
what  would  follow.  Before  five,  the  mob  surrounded  the  house 
again,  in  greater  numbers  than  ever.  The  cry  of  one  and  all 
was,  'Bring  out  the  minister;  we  will  have  the  minister.'  I 
desired  one  to  take  their  captain  by  the  hand  and  bring  him 
into  the  house.  After  a  few  sentences  interchanged  between 
us,  the  lion  was  become  a  lamb.  I  desired  him  to  go  and  bring 
one  or  two  of  the  most  angry  of  his  companions.  He  brought 
in  two  who  were  ready  to  swallow  the  ground  with  rage;  but  in 
two  minutes  they  were  as  calm  as  he.  I  then  bade  them  make 
way,  that  I  might  go  out  among  the  people.  As  soon  as  I  was  in 
the  midst  of  them  I  called  for  a  chair,  and,  standing  up,  asked, 
'  What  do  any  of  you  want  with  me  ?'  Some  said,  '  We  want  you 
to  go  with  us  to  the  Justice.'  I  replied,  '  That  1  will  with  all  my 
heart!'  I  then  spoke  a  few  words,  which  God  applied  ;  so  that 
they  cried  out  with  might  and  main,  'The  gentleman  is  an 
honest  gentleman,  and  we  will  spill  our  blood  in  his  defense!' 
I  asked,  'Shall  we  go  to  the  Justice  to-night  or  in  the  morning?' 
Most  of  them  cried,  'To-night!  to-night!'  On  which,  I  went  be- 
fore, and  two  or  three  hundred  followed. 

"  The  night  came  before  we  had  walked  a  mile,  together 
with  heavy  rain.  However,  on  we  went  to  Bentley  Hall,  two 
miles  from  Wednesbury.  One  or  two  ran  before,  to  tell  Mr. 
Lane,  'they  had  brought  Mr.  Wesley  before  his  worship. '  Mr. 
Lane  replied,  'WThat  have  I  to  do  with  Mr.  Wesley?  Go  and 
carry  him  back  again.'  By  this  time  the  main  body  came  up, 
and  began  knocking  at  the  door.  A  servant  told  them,  '  Mr. 
Lane  was  in  bed.'  His  son  followed,  and  asked,  'What  is  the 
matter  ?'  One  replied,  'Why,  an 't  please  you,  they  sing  psalms 
all  day;  nay,  and  make  folks  rise  at  five  in  the  morning.  And 
what  would  your  worship  advise  us  to  do?'  '  To  go  home,'  said 
Mr.  Lane,  'and  be  quiet.' 

"Here  they  were  at  a  full  stop,  till  one  advised  'to  go  to 
Justice  Persehouse,  at  Walsal.'  All  agreed  to  this.  So  we 
hastened  on,  and  about  seven  came  to  his  house.  But  Mr. 
Persehouse  likewise  sent  word  that  'he  was  in  bed.'  Now  they 
were  at  a  stand  again ;  but  at  last  they  all  thought  it  the  wisest 
course  to  make  the  best  of  their  way  home.  About  fifty  of 
them  undertook  to  convoy  me.  But  we  had  not  gone  a  hun- 
dred yards  when  the  mob  of  Walsal  came  pouring  in  like  a 


PERSONAL  SACRIFICES  AND  PERSECUTIONS.     8$ 

flood,  and  bore  down  all  before  them.  The  Darlaston  mob 
made  what  defense  they  could;  but  they  were  weary  as  well  as 
outnumbered.  So  that,  in  a  short  time,  many  being  knocked 
down,  the  rest  ran  away,  and  left  me  in  their  hands. 

"To  attempt  speaking  was  vain  ;  for  the  noise  on  every  side 
was  like  the  roaring  of  the  sea.  So  they  dragged  me  along  till  we 
came  to  the  town  ;  where,  seeing  the  door  of  a  large  house  open, 
I  attempted  to  go  in  ;  but  a  man  catching  me  by  the  hair,  pulled 
me  back  into  the  middle  of  the  mob.  They  made  no  more 
stop  till  they  had  carried  me  through  the  main  street.  I  con- 
tinued speaking  all  the  time  to  those  within  hearing,  feeling 
no  pain  or  weariness.  At  the  west  end  of  the  town,  seeing  a 
door  half  open,  I  made  toward  it,  and  would  have  gone  in  ; 
but  a  gentleman  in  the  shop  would  not  suffer  me,  saying,  '  they 
would  pull  the  house  down  to  the  ground.'  However,  I  stood 
at  the  door,  and  asked,  'Are  you  willing  to  hear  me  speak?' 
Many  cried  out,  'No,  no!  knock  his  brains  out!  down  with 
him!  kill  him  at  once!'  Others  said,  'Nay;  but  we  will  hear 
him  first!'  I  began  asking,  'What  evil  have  I  done  ?  Which  of 
you  all  have  I  wronged  in  word  or  deed?'  and  continued  speak- 
ing above  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  till  my  voice  suddenly  failed. 
Then  the  floods  began  to  lift  up  their  voice  again;  many  crying 
out,  'Bring  him  away!  Bring  him  away!' 

"In  the  mean  time,  my  strength  and  my  voice  returned, 
and  I  broke  out  aloud  into  prayer.  And  now  the  man  who  just 
before  headed  the  mob,  turned  and  said,  'Sir,  I  will  spend  my 
life  for  you.  Follow  me,  and  not  one  soul  here  shall  touch  a 
hair  of  your  head.'  Two  or  three  of  his  fellows  confirmed  his 
words,  and  got  close  to  me  immediately.  At  the  same  time 
the  gentleman  in  the  shop  cried  out,  '  For  shame  !  For  shame  ! 
Let  him  go  !'  An  honest  butcher,  who  was  a  little  farther  off, 
said  '  it  was  a  shame  they  should  do  thus;'  and  pulled  back 
four  or  five,  one  after  another,  who  were  running  on  the  most 
fiercely.  The  people  then,  as  if  it  had  been  by  common  con- 
sent, fell  back  to  the  right  and  left ;  while  those  three  or  four 
men  took  me  between  them,  and  carried  me  through  them  all. 
But,  on  the  bridge,  the  mob  rallied  again;  we  therefore  went 
on  one  side,  over  the  mill-dam,  and  thence  through  the  mead- 
ows, till,  a  little  before  ten,  God  brought  me  safe  to  Wednes- 
bury;  having  lost  only  one  flap  of  my  waistcoat,  and  a  little 
skin  from  one  of  my  hands. 


86  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

"I  never  saw  such  a  chain  of  providences  before;  so  many 
convincing  proofs  that  the  hand  of  God  is  on  every  person  and 
thing,  overruling  as  it  seemeth  him  good. 

"A  poor  woman  in  Darlaston,  who  had  headed  that  mob, 
and  sworn  'that  none  should  touch  me,'  when  she  saw  her  fel- 
lows give  way,  ran  into  the  thickest  of  the  throng,  and  knocked 
down  three  or  four  men,  one  after  another.  But  many  assault- 
ing her  at  once,  she  was  soon  overpowered,  and  had  probably 
been  killed  in  a  few  minutes  (three  or  four  men  keeping  her 
down,  and  beating  her  with  all  their  might),  had  not  a  man 
called  out  to  them,  'Hold,  Tom,  hold!'  'Who  is  there?'  said 
Tom.  'What,  honest  Munchin?  Nay,  then,  let  her  go.'  So 
they  held  their  hands,  and  let  her  get  up  and  crawl  home  as 
as  well  as  she  could. 

"  From  the  beginning  to  the  end,  I  found  the  same  presence 
of  mind  as  if  I  had  been  sitting  in  my  study.  But  I  took  no 
thought  for  one  moment  before  another;  only  once  it  came  into 
my  mind,  that  if  they  should  throw  me  into  the  river,  it  would 
spoil  the  papers  that  were  in  my  pocket.  For  myself,  I  did  not 
doubt  but  I  should  swim  across,  having  but  a  thin  coat  and  a 
light  pair  of  boots. 

"By  how  gentle  degrees  does  God  prepare  us  for  his  will! 
Two  years  ago,  a  piece  of  brick  grazed  my  shoulders.  It  was 
a  year  after  that  a  stone  struck  me  between  the  eyes.  Last 
month,  I  received  one  blow ;  and  this  evening  two — one  before 
we  came  into  town,  and  one  after  we  were  gone  out.  But  both 
were  as  nothing ;  for,  though  one  man  struck  me  on  the  breast 
with  all  his  might,  and  the  other  on  the  mouth  with  such  force 
that  the  blood  gushed  out  immediately,  I  felt  no  more  pain  from 
either  of  the  blows  than  if  they  had  touched  me  with  a  straw. 

"  It  ought  not  to  be  forgotten  that,  when  the  rest  of  the  so- 
ciety made  all  haste  to  escape  for  their  lives,  four  only  would  not 
stir, — William  Sitch,  Edward  Slater,  John  Griffiths,  and  Joan 
Parks.  These  kept  with  me,  resolving  to  live  or  die  together. 
And  none  of  them  received  one  blow  but  William  Sitch,  who 
held  me  by  the  arm  from  one  end  of  the  town  to  the  other.  He 
was  then  dragged  away  and  knocked  down ;  but  he  soon  rose 
and  got  to  me  again.  I  afterward  asked  him  ,  '  what  he  expected 
when  the  mob  came  upon  us?'  He  said,  'To  die  for  him  who 
had  died  for  us;'  and  added,  'that  he  felt  no  hurry  or  fear,  but 
calmly  waited  till  God  should  require  his  soul  of  him.' " 


PERSONAL  SACRIFICES  AND  PERSECUTIONS.     S? 

At  St.  Ives,  Mr.  Wesley  was  roughly  handled, 
and  the  preaching-house  was  pulled  down  to  the 
ground;  but  we  will  mention  only  the  particulars  of 
his  visit  to  Falmouth,  which  we  find  stated  in  his 
Journal. 

"Thursday,  July  4th. — I  rode  to  Falmouth.  About  three 
in  the  afternoon  I  went  to  see  a  gentlewoman  who  had  been  in- 
disposed. Almost  as  soon  as  I  sat  down,  the  house  was  beset 
on  all  sides  by  an  innumerable  multitude  of  people.  A  louder 
or  more  confused  noise  could  hardly  be  at  the  taking  of  a  city 
by  storm.  At  first,  Mrs.  B.  and  her  daughter  endeavored  to 
quiet  them ;  but  it  was  labor  lost.  They  might  as  well  have 
attempted  to  still  the  raging  of  the  sea,  and  were,  therefore,  soon 
glad  to  shift  for  themselves.  The  rabble  roared  with  all  their 
throats,  '  Bring  out  the  Canorum  /  Where  is  the  Canoriun  /' 
(an  unmeaning  word  which  the  Cornish  rabble  then  used  in- 
stead of  Methodist.)  No  answer  being  given,  they  quickly 
forced  open  the  outer  door,  and  filled  the  passage.  Only  a 
wainscot  partition  was  between  us,  which  was  not  likely  to 
stand  long.  I  immediately  took  down  a  large  looking-glass 
which  hung  against  it,  supposing  the  whole  side  would  fall  in  at 
once.  They  began  their  work  with  abundance  of  bitter  impre- 
cations. A  poor  girl  who  was  left  in  the  house  was  utterly  as- 
tonished, and  cried  out,  '  O,  sir,  what  must  we  do  ?'  I  said, 
'We  must  pray.'  Indeed,  at  that  time,  to  all  appearance,  our 
lives  were  not  worth  an  hour's  purchase.  She  asked,  'But,  sir, 
is  it  not  better  for  you  to  hide  yourself?  To  get  into  the  closet?' 
I  answered,  'No.  It  is  best  for  me  to  stand  just  where  I  am.' 
Among  those  without  were  the  crews  of  some  privateers  which 
were  lately  come  into  the  harbor.  Some  of  these,  being  angry 
at  the  slowness  of  the  rest,  thrust  them  away,  and  coming  up 
altogether,  set  their  shoulders  to  the  inner  door,  and  cried  out, 
'Avast,  lads,  avast!'  Away  went  all  the  hinges  at  once,  and  the 
door  fell  back  into  the  room.  I  stepped  forward  into  the  midst 
of  them,  and  said,  'Here  I  am.  Which  of  you  has  any  thing 
to  say  to  me?  To  which  of  you  have  I  done  any  wrong?  To 
you?  Or  you?  Or  you?'  I  continued  speaking  till  I  came 
into  the  middle  of  the  street,  and  then,  raising  my  voice,  said, 
'Neighbors,    countrymen,  do   you   desire  to   hear  me  speak?' 


88  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

They  cried  vehemently,  'Yes,  yes,  he  shall  speak.  He  shall. 
Nobody  shall  hinder  him.'  But  having  nothing  to  stand  on, 
and  no  advantage  of  ground,  I  could  be  heard  by  a  few  only. 
However,  I  spoke  without  intermission;  and,  as  far  as  the 
sound  reached,  the  people  were  still,  till  one  or  two  of  their 
captains  turned  about  and  swore;  'Not  a  man  shall  touch  him.' 
Mr.  Thomas,  a  clergyman,  then  came  up,  and  asked,  'Are  you 
not  ashamed  to  use  a  stranger  thus?'  He  was  soon  seconded 
by  two  or  three  gentlemen  of  the  town,  and  one  of  the  alder- 
men, with  whom  I  walked  down  the  town,  speaking  all  the 
time,  till  I  came  to  Mrs.  Maddern's  house.  The  gentlemen 
proposed  sending  for  my  horse  to  the  door,  and  desired  me  to 
step  in  and  rest  in  the  mean  time.  But,  on  second  thoughts, 
they  judged  it  not  advisable  to  let  me  go  out  among  the  people 
again.  So  they  chose  to  send  my  horse  before  me  to  Penryn, 
and  to  send  me  thither  by  water;  the  sea  running  close  by  the 
back  door  of  the  house  in  which  we  were. 

"I  never  saw  before,  no,  not  at  Walsal  itself,  the  hand  of 
God  so  plainly  shown  as  here.  There  I  had  some  companions, 
who  were  willing  to  die  with  me;  here,  not  a  friend,  but  one 
simple  girl,  who  likewise  was  hurried  away  from  me  in  an  in- 
stant, as  soon  as  ever  she  came  out  of  Mrs.  B's.  house.  There, 
I  received  some  blows,  lost  part  of  my  clothes,  and  was  covered 
over  with  dirt.  Here,  although  the  hands  of  perhaps  some 
hundreds  of  people  were  lifted  up  to  strike  or  throw,  they  were 
one  and  all  stopped  in  the  midway,  so  that  not  a  man  touched 
me  with  one  of  his  fingers.  Neither  was  any  thing  thrown  from 
first  to  last,  so  that  I  had  not  even  a  speck  of  dirt  on  my  clothes. 
Who  can  deny  that  God  heareth  the  prayer?  or  that  he  hath 
all  power  in  heaven  and  earth?" 

Charles  Wesley,  also  John  Nelson  and  other 
preachers  experienced  the  most  terrible  trials  of  this 
sort  at  various  times  and  places — clergymen  "treat- 
ing" the  rabble  and  urging  them  on  in  their  murder- 
ous work ;  but  God  overruled  the  wrath  of  man  for 
the  advancement  of  his  cause. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  country  was 
threatened    with     invasion    by    France    and     Spain. 


PERSONAL  SACRIFICES  AND  PERSECUTIONS.     89 

Wesley  was  accused  of  being  in  collusion  with  the 
Papists — of  being  a  Jesuit — of  keeping  priests  at  his 
house  in  London ;  indeed,  of  all  sorts  of  sins,  and 
was  arrested  and  imprisoned.  Charles,  too,  was  in- 
dicted for  asking  God  in  prayer  to  "call  home  his 
banished  ones,"  it  being  supposed  that  he  meant  the 
''House  of  the  Stuarts."  Nelson  and  other  preachers 
were  impressed  into  the  army,  and  outraged  beyond 
description.  The  magistrates  were  of  a  piece  with 
their  priests.  One  delivered  a  member  of  the  society 
over  to  the  mob  shouting  "Hurrah,  boys!  Well 
done!     Stand  up  for  the  Church!" 

Mobs  and  civil  prosecutions,  however,  were 
among  the  least  obstructions  to  the  work.  They  be- 
gat sympathy,  which,  though  it  was  not  able  to  repel 
them,  operated  in  other  ways,  and  under  other  cir- 
cumstances, with  good  effect.  Popular  derision  pre- 
sented a  much  more  effective  resistance  to  the  cause, 
and  accompanied  with  every  other  species  of  opposi- 
tion which  learning,  wealth,  prejudice,  and  power  can 
give,  formed  the  mighty  current  that  the  Wesleyan 
movement  had  to  resist.  Nevertheless,  by  the  pe- 
culiar blessing  of  heaven,  it  advanced  with  accumu- 
lating energy,  achieving  reforms  among  the  lower 
classes  that  had  been  regarded  utterly  impracticable. 

OTHER    EXCITING   SCENES. 

That  three  such  men  as  the  Wesleys  and  White- 
field  should  attract  public  attention  is  not  remark- 
able. Endowed  by  nature,  education,  and  especially 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
speak  without  making  an  impression.  But  there 
were    extraordinary    results    attending    their    labors, 

8 


90  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

which  can  not  be  accounted  for  on  any  principles  of 
human  philosophy.  Men  and  women  in  large  num- 
bers fell  to  the  ground  under  the  quiet  expository 
preaching  of  Mr.  Wesley  as  if  dead  or  crying  for 
mercy.  And  when  their  maddened  friends  came  to 
take  them  away,  they  fell  in  like  manner.  Blas- 
pliemers  were  often  overwhelmed,  and  cried  aloud,  as 
if  dropping  into  hell.  One  man  passing  by,  only 
stopping  for  a  moment  to  hear  the  sermon,  was  struck 
down.  A  man  of  high  Church  affinities,  who  thought 
the  devil  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  movement,  was 
induced  to  read  one  of  Wesley's  sermons,  and  fell  in 
his  own  house  screaming  with  anguish ;  but  he  arose 
rejoicing  in  God.  Even  a  Quaker,  who  felt  moved 
to  protest  against  these  extravagances,  fell  to  the 
ground  in  the  midst  of  his  speech.  Had  these  and 
hundreds  of  similar  events  occurred  under  Mr. 
Whitefield's  preaching  they  might  have  been  at- 
tributed to  his  terrific  and  impassioned  eloquence,  but 
he  was  not  there.  On  his  second  return  from  Arfier- 
ica  (July,  1739),  Mr.  Wesley  told  him  of  them,  and 
he  had  many  doubts;  but  "the  next  day,"  says 
Wesley,  "he  had  an  opportunity  of  informing  him- 
self better,  for  no  sooner  had  he  begun  to  invite  all 
sinners  to  believe  in  Christ,  than  four  persons  sunk 
down  close  to  him,  almost  in  the  same  moment. 
One  of  them  lay  without  either  sense  or  motion.  The 
third  had  strong  convulsions  all  over  his  body,  but 
made  no  noise,  unless  by  groans.  The  fourth,  equally 
convulsed,  called  upon  God  with  strong  cries  and 
tears.  From  this  time  I  trust  we  shall  all  suffer  God 
to  carry  on  his  own  work  in  the  way  that  pleaseth 
him."     (Wesley's  Works,  Vol.  Ill,  page  144.) 


PROGRESS   OF  THE   WORK.  9 1 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE     PROGRESS     OF    THE    WORK — THE     FIRST    CONFERENCE, 
WITH   THE   TRIALS    AND    TRIUMPHS    WHICH    FOLLOWED. 

THE  brothers  were  now  fully  devoted  to  the 
itinerant  work,  preaching  every-where,  as  Prov- 
idence opened  the  way,  some  three  or  four  times 
Sundays,  and  nearly  every  day  during  the  week. 
John  Nelson,  Thomas  Maxfield,  and  other  lay 
preachers  were  doing  excellent  service,  while  a  few 
of  the  regular  clergy  favored  the  movement  as  far  as 
they  could  without  being  ostracized.  David  Taylor, 
a  servant  of  Lord  Huntingdon,  became  converted, 
and  spoke  to  his  master's  tenants  and  others  with 
marked  effect.  Going  abroad  preaching  under  the 
direction  of  the  countess  in  the  open  air,  he  drew 
together  vast  crowds  of  the  common  people,  who 
heard  him  gladly.  Samuel  Deacon,  led  by  curiosity, 
fell  into  the  current  and  was  converted,  and  became  a 
distinguished  preacher.  All  went  from  place  to  place, 
as  the  way  opened  and  as  Mr.  Wesley  directed. 

But  as  the  preachers  multiplied  and  the  work 
spread,  it  became  necessary  to  adopt  some  system  by 
which  their  labors  should  be  turned  to  the  best  ac- 
count. To  effect  so  difficult  a  task  in  a  way  not  to 
disturb  the  unity  of  the  body,  and  at  the  same  time 
secure  the  greatest  possible  efficiency,  Mr.  Wesley 
invited  a  number  of  the  clergy  to  meet  him  for  con- 


92  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

sultation.  The  meeting  was  held  in  London,  June 
25,  1744,  at  the  Foundery,  in  connection  with  which 
Mr.  Wesley  had  a  house  that  he  called  his  home, 
where  he  received  his  venerated  and  widowed  mother 
and  entertained  her  during  the  remainder  of  her  use- 
ful life.     This  meeting  has  since  been  recognized  as 

THE    FIRST    CONFERENCE. 

It  consisted  of  six  clergymen  of  the  Church  of 
England,  to-wit:  John  Wesley,  Charles  Wesley,  John 
Hodges,  Henry  Piers,  Samuel  Taylor,  and  John  Mer- 
iton.  It  is  assumed  by  Dr.  Stevens  that  there  were 
also  present  four  lay  preachers,  which  is  not  unlikely, 
though  Mr.  Wesley  makes  no  mention  of  them  in 
his  account  of  the  occasion.  (See  his  Works,  Vol. 
V,  p.  194.)  The  meeting  continued  five  days,  and 
was  occupied,  first  of  all,  in  prayer  to  God  for  his 
guidance  and  blessing,  and  then  in  the  consideration 
of  the  great  doctrinal  and  practical  questions  particu- 
larly involved  in  their  enterprise. 

That  they  might  come  to  right  conclusions,  it 
was  desired  that  all  should  have  a  single  eye,  and  be 
as  little  children,  having  every  thing  to  learn;  that 
every  point  should  be  examined  to  the  foundation; 
that  each  should  speak  whatever  was  in  his  heart  till 
every  question  should  be  thoroughly  debated  and 
settled.  This  being  premised,  the  order  of  the  meet- 
ing was  stated  to  be  to  consider,  1.  What  to  teach; 
2.  How  to  teach;  and,  3.  What  to  do — that  is,  how 
to  regulate  our  doctrine,  discipline,  and  practice — 
whereupon  they  proceeded  step  by  step  in  the  form 
of  conversation,  beginning  with  the  doctrine  of  jus- 
tification,   till    they   had    agreed    upon    most    of    the 


PROGRESS   OF   THE   WORK.  93 

great  principles  which  constitute  the  framework  and 
strength  of  the  different  branches  of  Methodism 
throughout  the  world.  (Wesley's  Works,  Vol.  V, 
p.   194.) 

With  an  improved  acquaintance  with  each  other, 
and  a  better  understanding  of  and  a  stronger  attach- 
ment to  the  doctrines  and  discipline  in  which  they 
were  so  happily  agreed,  they  were  now  prepared  to 
instruct  and  regulate  the  societies  as  they  had  never 
been  before;  and,  as  the  result  of  these  deliberations, 
the  work  of  God  advanced  with  greater  uniformity, 
and  the  different  societies  became  molded  and  fash- 
ioned after  the  same  image,  as  was  necessary  to 
consolidate  them  into  one  grand  confederacy. 

This  beginning  of  Conferences  lies  at  the  founda- 
tion of  that  series  of  annual  meetings  of  the  preach- 
ers which  has  been  extended  to  the  present  day. 
The  second  Conference  commenced  August  1,  1745, 
and  consisted  of  ten  persons,  convened,  as  before,  by 
Mr.  Wesley's  invitation.  Some  years  after,  he  gave 
a  general  permission  to  all  the  preachers  to  attend, 
but  soon  retracted  it.  At  these  Conferences  the 
character  of  the  preachers  was  examined,  points  of 
doctrine  and  discipline  reviewed  as  occasion  required, 
complaints  considered,  and  difficulties  settled.  The 
minutes  of  the  several  conversations  held  formed  the 
Discipline  of  the  societies.  The  last  revision  of  them 
by  Mr.  Wesley  was  made  in  1789. 

These  Conferences  were  entirely  under  his  con- 
trol so  long  as  he  lived.  He  decided  every  question, 
received,  dismissed,  and  appointed  the  preachers  as 
he  judged  best.  In  an  explanatory  letter,  written 
by  him  in  1780,  he  says:    "You  have  a  wrong  idea 


94  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

of  a  Conference.  For  above  six  years  after  my  re- 
turn to  England  there  was  no  such  thing.  I  then 
desired  some  of  our  preachers  to  meet  me  in  order 
to  advise,  not  control  me;  and  you  may  observe  they 
had  no  power  at  all  but  what  I  exercised  through 
them.  I  chose  to  exercise  the  power  which  God 
had  given  me  in  this  manner,  both  to  avoid  ostenta- 
tion and  gently  to  habituate  the  people  to  obey  them 
when  I  should  be  taken  from  their  head;  but,  as 
long  as  I  remain  with  them,  the  fundamental  rule  of 
Methodism  remains  inviolate."  (Wesley's  Works, 
Vol.  VII,  p.  228.) 

The  Conferences  continued  to  be  held  annually 
after  his  death,  on  a  plan  wisely  constructed  by  him- 
self. They  have  also  been  adopted  by  all  branches 
of  the  Methodist  family,  modified  to  suit  the  parties 
controlling  them,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter. 

Wesley's  appeal  to  the  established  clergy. 

Arrangements  now  being  more  fully  settled,  and 
the  preachers  assigned  to  particular  fields  of  labor 
for  a  time,  Mr.  Wesley  took  occasion  to  reason  with 
the  established  clergy,  to  whose  ignorance  and  preju- 
dice he  attributed  most  of  the  persecutions  the  soci- 
eties had  suffered;  and,  wishing  to  do  it  in  a  manner 
the  least  offensive,  he  drew  up  a  short  "state  of  the 
case"  between  them  and  the  Methodists,  and  sent  it 
to  a  personal  friend,  to  be  used  as  he  should  see  fit. 
This  document  so  clearly  indicates  the  principles, 
character,  and  condition  of  the  societies  at  that  time, 
we  can  not  deny  our  young  friend^  the  privilege  of 
reading  it  in  this  connection.  Who  will  say  that 
its  demands  are  unreasonable?     It  reads  as  follows: 


PROGRESS   OF  THE   WORK.  95 

"About  seven  years  since,  we  began  preaching  inward 
present  salvation  as  attainable  by  faith  alone.  For  preaching 
this  doctrine  we  were  forbidden  to  preach  in  most  churches. 
We  then  preached  in  private  houses,  and,  when  the  houses 
could  not  contain  the  people,  in  the  open  air.  For  this  many 
of  the  clergy  preached  or  printed  against  us  as  both  heretics 
and  schismatics.  Persons  who  were  convinced  of  sin  begged 
us  to  advise  them  more  particularly  how  to  flee  from  the  wrath 
to  come.  We  desired  them,  being  many,  to  come  at  one  time, 
and  we  would  endeavor  it.  For  this  we  were  represented, 
both  from  the  pulpit  and  the  press,  as  introducing  Popery  and 
raising  sedition.  Yea,  all  manner  of  evil  was  said,  both  of  us 
and  of  those  who  used  to  assemble  with  us.  Finding  that 
some  of  these  did  walk  disorderly,  we  desired  them  not  to 
come  to  us  any  more;  and  some  of  the  others  we  desired  to 
overlook  the  rest,  that  we  might  know  whether  they  walked 
worthy  of  the  Gospel.  Several  of  the  clergy  now  stirred  up 
the  people  to  treat  us  as  outlaws  or  mad-dogs.  The  people  did 
so,  both  in  Staffordshire,  Cornwall,  and  many  other  places; 
and  they  do  so  still,  wherever  they  are  not  restrained  by  fear 
of  the  magistrates. 

"Now,  what  can  we  do,  or  what  can  you  or  our  brethren 
do,  toward  healing  this  breach?  Desire  of  us  any  thing  which 
we  can  do  with  a  safe  conscience,  and  we  will  do  it  immedi- 
ately. Will  you  meet  us  here  ?  Will  you  do  what  we  desire  of 
you,  so  far  as  you  can  with  a  safe  conscience? 

"1.  Do  you  desire  us  to  preach  another,  or  to  desist  from 
preaching  this  doctrine?  We  can  not  do  this  with  a  safe  con- 
science. 

"2.  Do  you  desire  us  to  desist  from  preaching  in  private 
houses  or  in  the  open  air?  As  things  are  now  circumstanced, 
this  would  be  the  same  as  desiring  us  not  to  preach  at  all. 

"3.  Do  you  desire  us  not  to  advise  those  who  meet  to- 
gether for  that  purpose — to  dissolve  our  societies  ?  We  can  not 
do  this  with  a  safe  conscience,  for  we  apprehend  many  souls 
would  be  lost  thereby. 

"4.  Do  you  desire  us  to  advise  them  one  by  one?  This 
is  impossible,  because  of  their  number. 

"5.  Do  you  desire  us  to  suffer  those  who  walk  disorderly 
still  to  mix  with  the  rest?  Neither  can  we  do  this  with  a  safe 
conscience,  for  'evil  communications  corrupt  good  manners? 


g6  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

"6.  Do  you  desire  us  to  discharge  those  leaders,  as  we 
term  them,  who  overlook  the  rest?  This  is,  in  effect,  to  suffer 
the  disorderly  walkers  still  to  remain  with  the  rest. 

"Do  you  desire  us,  lastly,  to  behave  with  tenderness  both 
to  the  characters  and  persons  of  our- brethren  the  clergy?  By 
the  grace  of  God  we  can  and  will  do  this,  as,  indeed,  we  have 
done  to  this  day. 

"If  you  ask  what  we  desire  of  you  to  do,  we  answer: 

"i.  We  do  not  desire  any  of  you  to  let  us  preach  in  your 
church,  either  if  you  believe  us  to  preach  false  doctrine,  or  if 
you  have  the  least  scruple;  but  we  desire  any  who  believes  us 
to  preach  true  doctrine,  and  has  no  scruple  in  the  matter,  not 
to  be  either  publicly  or  privately  discouraged  from  inviting  us 
to  preach  in  his  church. 

"2.  We  do  not  desire  that  any  who  thinks  it  his  duty  to 
preach  or  print  against  us  should  refrain  therefrom;  but  we  de- 
sire that  none  will  do  this  till  he  has  calmly  considered  both 
sides  of  the  question,  and  that  he  would  not  condemn  us  un- 
heard, but  first  read  what  we  say  in  our  own  defense. 

"3.  We  do  not  desire  any  favor  if  either  Popery,  sedition, 
or  immorality  be  proved  against  us:  but  we  desire  you  would 
not  credit  without  proof  any  of  those  senseless  tales  that  pass 
current  with  the  vulgar;  that,  if  you  do  not  credit  them  your- 
selves, you  will  not  relate  them  to  others — yea,  that  you  will 
discountenance  those  who  still  retail  them  abroad. 

"4.  We  do  not  desire  any  preferment,  favor,  or  recom- 
mendation from  those  that  are  in  power,  either  in  Church  or 
State:  but  we  desire,  1.  That  if  any  thing  material  be  laid  to 
our  charge,  we  may  be  permitted  to  answer  for  ourselves; 
2.  That  you  would  hinder  your  dependents  from  stirring  up 
the  rabble  against  us,  who  are  certainly  not  the  proper  judges 
in  these  matters;  and,  3.  That  you  would  effectually  suppress 
and  discountenance  all  riots  and  popular  insurrections,  which 
evidently  strike  at  the  foundation  of  all  government,  whether 
of  Church  or  State." 

THE    PROPER  STATUS  OF    METHODISM. 

While  thus  reasoning  with  the  clergy,  and  other 
opposers  of  his  movements,  he  was  not  unmindful  of 
the  conduct  of  his  friends.      His  advice  to  them  was 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  WORK.  97 

equally  pertinent  and  instructive.  Nothing  could 
more  clearly  certify  the  high  moral  purity  of  his  pur- 
pose or  the  wisdom  of  his  plan.  The  following  is 
sufficient  to  indicate  the  view  he  took  of  the  enter- 
prise in  which  he  was  engaged: 

"  The  first  general  advice  which  one  who  loves  your 
souls  would  earnestly  recommend  to  every  one  of  you  is,  Con- 
sider, with  deep  and  frequent  attention,  the  peculiar  circum- 
stances wherein  you  stand.  One  of  these  is,  that  you  are  a 
new  people.  Your  name  is  new  (at  least  as  used  in  a  relig- 
ious sense),  not  heard  of,  till  a  few  years  ago,  either  in  our 
own  or  any  other  nation.  Your  principles  are  new,  in  this 
respect,  that  there  is  no  other  set  of  people  among  us  (and  pos- 
sibly not  in  the  Christian  world)  who  hold  them  all  in  the  same 
degree  and  connection ;  who  so  strenuously  and  continually  in- 
sist on  the  absolute  necessity  of  universal  holiness  both  in  heart 
and  life;  of  a  peaceful,  joyous  love  of  God;  of  a  supernatural 
evidence  of  things  not  seen ;  of  an  inward  witness  that  we  are 
the  children  of  God ;  and  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
in  order  to  any  good  thought,  or  word,  or  work.  And  perhaps 
there  is  no  other  set  of  people  (at  least  not  visibly  united  to- 
gether) who  lay  so  much,  and  yet  no  more,  stress  than  you  do 
on  rectitude  of  opinions,  on  outward  modes  of  worship,  and 
the  use  of  those  ordinances  which  you  acknowledge  to  be  of 
God ;  and  yet  do  not  condemn  any  man  upon  earth  merely  for 
thinking  otherwise  than  you  do — much  less  to  imagine  that  God 
condemns  him  for  this,  if  he  be  upright  and  sincere  of  heart. 

"Your  strictness  of  life,  taking  the  whole  of  it  together, 
may  likewise  be  accounted  new.  I  mean,  your  making  it  a 
rule  to  abstain  from  fashionable  diversions  ;  your  plainness  of 
dress;  your  manner  of  dealing  in  trade;  your  exactness  in  ob- 
serving the  Lord's  day;  your  scrupulosity  as  to  things  that  have 
not  paid  custom  ;  your  total  abstinence  from  spirituous  liquors 
(unless  in  cases  of  extreme  necessity) ;  your  rule  '  not  to  men- 
tion the  fault  of  an  absent  person,  in  particular  of  ministers,  or 
of  those  in  authority,'  may  justly  be  termed  new.  For  we  do  not 
find  any  body  of  people  who  insist  on  all  these  rules  together. 

"  Consider  these  peculiar  circumstances  wherein  you  stand, 
and  you  will  see  the  propriety  of  a  second  advice  I   would 

9 


98  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

recommend  to  you :  Do  not  imagine  you  can  avoid  giving 
offense.  Your  very  name  renders  this  impossible.  And  as  much 
offense  as  you  give  by  your  name,  you  will  give  still  more  by 
your  principles.  You  will  give  offense  to  the  bigots  for  opin- 
ions, modes  of  worship,  and  ordinances,  by  laying  no  more 
stress  upon  them;  to  the  bigots  against  them,  by  laying  so 
much;  to  men  of  form,  by  insisting  so  frequently  and  strongly 
on  the  inward  power  of  religion;  to  moral  men  (so  called),  by 
declaring  the  absolute  necessity  of  faith,  in  order  to  acceptance 
with  God;  to  men  of  reason  you  will  give  offense,  by  talking 
of  inspiration  and  receiving  the  Holy  Ghost;  to  drunkards, 
Sabbath  breakers,  common  swearers,  and  other  open  sinners, 
by  refraining  from  their  company,  as  well  as  by  that  disappro- 
bation of  their  behavior  which  you  will  be  often  obliged  to  ex- 
press. Either,  therefore,  you  must  consent  to  give  up  your 
principles  or  your  fond  hope  of  pleasing  men.  What  makes 
even  your  principles  more  offensive  is,  this  uniting  of  your- 
selves together;  union  renders  you  more  conspicuous,  placing 
you  more  in  the  eye  of  men ;  and  more  dreadful  to  those  of  a 
fearful  temper;  and  more  odious  to  men  of  zeal,  if  their  zeal 
be  any  other  than  fervent  love  to  God  and  man." 

During  the  year  1746  Mr.  Wesley  traversed  the 
most  distant  parts  of  the  kingdom,  and  revivals  pre- 
vailed in  many  places.  He  usually  preached  two  or 
three  times  every  day,  and  regulated  the  societies 
wherever  he  came.  His  whole  heart  was  in  the 
work,  and  his  fixed  resolution  surmounted  every 
difficulty. 

THE    QUALIFICATIONS    OF   THE    PREACHERS. 

"At  this  period,  the  preachers  were  not  skilled 
beyond  the  first  principles  of  religion,  and  the  prac- 
tical consequences  deducible  from  them:  'repentance 
toward  God,  faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, '  and 
the  fruits  that  follow,  ' righteousness  and  peace  and  joy 
in  the  Holy  Ghost.'  These  were  the  subjects  of  their 
daily  discourses,  and  these  truths  they  knew  in  power. 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  WORK.  99 

But  such  was  the  low  state  of  religious  knowledge 
among  the  people  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary 
to  enforce  these  first  principles,  and  to  give  them  a 
practical  influence  on  the  heart  and  life,  before  they 
were  led  any  farther.  In  these  circumstances,  the 
limited  knowledge  of  the  preachers  was  so  far  from 
being  an  inconvenience,  that  it  was  an  unspeakable 
advantage,  as  it  necessarily  confined  them  to  those 
fundamental  points  of  experimental  and  practical  relig- 
ion which  were  best  adapted  to  the  state  of  the  people. 
Ministers  of  diversified  knowledge,  but  of  little  ex- 
perience in  the  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  seldom 
dwell  sufficiently  in  their  sermons  on  these  important 
points  ;  and  hence  the  preachers  were  far  more  suc- 
cessful in  awakening  sinners  to  a  sense  of  their  dan- 
gerous state,  and  in  bringing  them  to  a  saving  knowl- 
edge of  Christ.  To  enforce  the  necessity  of  repentance, 
and  of  seeking  salvation  by  grace  alone  through  a 
Redeemer,  the  preacher  would  often  draw  a  picture 
of  human  nature  in  such  strong  and  natural  colors 
that  every  one  who  heard  him  saw  his  own  likeness 
in  it,  and  was  ready  to  say,  'He  hath  shown  me  all 
that  was  in  my  heart!*  The  effect  was  surprising. 
The  people  found  themselves,  under  every  discourse, 
emerging  out  of  the  thickest  darkness  into  a  region 
of  light,  the  blaze  of  which,  being  suddenly  poured 
in  upon  them,  gave  exquisite  pain  at  first,  but  soon 
showed  them  the  way  to  peace  and  consolation." 

PLANS    FOR    THE  RIGHT    KINDS   OF   BOOKS. 

"Mr.  Wesley  foresaw  that  as  knowledge  was  in- 
creased among  the  people  it  ought  to  be  increased 
in  the  same,  or  even  in  a  greater,  proportion  among 


IOO  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

the  preachers,  otherwise  they  would  become  less 
useful.  He,  therefore,  began  to  think  of  a  collection 
of  such  books  in  the  English  language  as  might  for- 
ward their  improvement  in  treating  of  the  various 
branches  of  practical  divinity."  (Moore's  Life  of 
Wesley.) 

This  foresight,  for  which  Mr.  Wesley  was  so  pe- 
culiar, led  him  to  consultation,  particularly  with  Dr. 
Doddridge,  in  regard  to  the  selection  of  a  library. 
The  Doctor  treated  the  subject  with  great  courtesy, 
and  furnished  the  list  of  books  desired,  notwithstand- 
ing the  printer  was  driving  him  hard  for  copy  to 
complete  the  third  volume  of  his  ''Family  Exposi- 
tor." It  was  about  this  time  that  it  was  inserted  in 
the  Minutes,  for  the  benefit  of  the  ministry:  "Read 
the  most  useful  books,  and  that  regularly  and  con- 
stantly. Steadily  spend  all  the  morning  in  this 
employ,  or,  at  least,  five  hours  in  the  four-and- 
twenty. 

"'But  I  read  only  the  Bible.'  Then  you  ought 
to  teach  others  to  read  only  the  Bible,  and,  by 
parity  of  reason,  to  hear  only  the  Bible.  But  if  so, 
you  need  preach  no  more.  Just  so  said  George 
Bell.  And  what  is  the  fruit  ?  Why,  now  he  neither 
reads  the  Bible  nor  any  thing  else.  This  is  rank  en- 
thusiasm. If  you  need  no  book  but  the  Bible,  you 
are  got  above  St.  Paul.  He  wanted  others  too. 
'Bring  the  books,'  says  he,  'but  especially  the 
parchments,' — those  wrote  on  parchment.  'But  I 
have  no  taste  for  reading.'  Contract  a  taste  for  it 
by  use,  or  return  to  your  trade. 

"'But  I  have  no  books.'  I  will  give  each  of 
you,   as   fast   as   you    will   read   them,   books   to  the 


PROGRESS  OF  THE   WORK.  I0I 

value  of  five  pounds.  And  I  desire  that  the  assist- 
ants would  take  care  that  all  the  large  societies  pro- 
vide our  works,  or,  at  least,  the  notes,  for  the  use 
of  the  preachers." 

THE    KINGSWOOD    SCHOOL    ESTABLISHED. 

It  was  at  this  period,  also,  that  Mr.  Wesley  orig- 
inated the  Kingswood  School  for  the  complete  edu- 
cation of  the  young,  where  their  morals  would  be 
secure.  He  had  succeeded  in  the  establishment  of 
one  for  the  children  of  the  colliers,  several  years  be- 
fore, and  was  now  looking  to  the  interests  of  others 
in  higher  life.  This  school  has  done  immense  good, 
and,  for  many  years,  has  been  wholly  devoted  to 
the  sons  of  the  itinerant  preachers. 

How  he  obtained  the  means  of  carrying  forward 
so  many  interests  involving  expense  is  partly  ex- 
plained by  the  following  fact  in  connection  with  the 
establishment  of  this  school.  "He  was  mentioning 
to  a  lady,  with  whom  he  was  in  company  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Bristol,  his  desire  and  design  of 
erecting  a  Christian  school,  such  as  would  not  dis- 
grace the  apostolic  age.  The  lady  was  so  well 
pleased  with  his  views  that  she  immediately  went  to 
her  scrutoire  and  brought  him  five  hundred  pounds 
in  bank-notes,  desiring  him  to  accept  of  them,  and 
to  enter  upon  his  plan  immediately.  He  did  so. 
Afterward,  being  in  company  with  the  same  lady, 
she  inquired  how  the  building  went  on,  and  whether 
he  stood  in  need  of  farther  assistance.  He  informed 
her  that  he  had  laid  out  all  the  money  he  had  re- 
ceived, and  that  he  was  three  hundred  pounds  in 
debt;    at  the  same  time  apologizing,  and   entreating 


102  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

her  not  to  consider  it  as  a  concern  of  hers.  But  she 
immediately  retired,  and  brought  him  the  sum  he 
wanted." 

What  his  unparalleled  plan  of  finance  did  not  se- 
cure in  small  sums  among  the  poor,  the  Providence 
of  God  supplied  in  this  way.  But  that  plan !  Who 
has  fully  estimated  it?  The  rules  for  the  govern- 
ment of  its  operators,  the  stewards,  show  that  it  was 
sanctified  by  prayer,  like  every  other  part  of  his  sys- 
tem. He  earned  and  begged  money  only  for  God 
and  his  cause,  and  he  would  have  the  business 
transacted  in  the  spirit  of  vital  piety,  as  much  as 
preaching,  or  any  other  religious  duty.  Hence,  he 
drafted  and  gave  to  his  stewards  the  following 
excellent  rules : 

CHARACTERS    AND    DUTY    OF    STEWARDS. 

"I.  You  are  to  be  men  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  of  wisdom,  that  you  may  do  all  things  in  a 
manner  acceptable  to  God.  2.  You  are  to  be  pres- 
ent every  Tuesday  and  Thursday  morning,  in  order 
to  transact  the  temporal  affairs  of  the  society.  3. 
You  are  to  begin  and  end  every  meeting  with  ear- 
nest prayer  to  God  for  a  blessing  on  all  your  under- 
takings. 4.  You  are  to  produce  your  accounts  the 
first  Tuesday  in  every  month,  that  they  may  be 
transcribed  into  the  ledger.  5.  You  are  to  take  it  in 
turn,  month  by  month,  to  be  chairman.  The  chair- 
man is  to  see  that  all  the  rules  be  punctually  ob- 
served, and  immediately  to  check  him  who  breaks 
any  of  them.  6.  You  are  to  do  nothing  without  the 
consent  of  the  minister,  either  actually  had  or  rea- 
sonably  presumed.      7.   You  are  to   consider,   when- 


PROGRESS  OF  THE   WORK.  103 

ever  you  meet,  'God  is  here.'  Therefore,  be  serious. 
Utter  no  trifling  word.  Speak  as  in  his  presence, 
and  to  the  glory  of  his  great  name.  8.  When  any 
thing  is  debated,  let  one  at  once  stand  up  and  speak, 
the  rest  giving  attention.  And  let  him  speak  just 
loud  enough  to  be  heard,  in  love  and  in  the  spirit  of 
meekness.  9.  You  are  continually  to  pray  and  en- 
deavor that  a  holy  harmony  of  soul  may  in  all  things 
subsist  among  you ;  that  in  every  step  you  may  keep 
the  unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of 'peace.  10.  In 
all  debates  you  are  to  watch  over  your  spirits,  avoid- 
ing, as  fire,  all  clamor  and  contention;  being  'swift 
to  hear,  slow  to  speak;'  in  honor,  every  man  preferring 
another  before  himself.  11.  If  you  can  not  relieve, 
do  not  grieve  the  poor.  Give  them  soft  words,  if 
nothing  else.  Abstain  from  either  sour  looks  or 
harsh  words.  Let  them  be  glad  to  come,  even 
though  they  should  go  empty  away.  Put  yourselves 
in  the  place  of  every  poor  man;  and  deal  with  him 
as  you  would  God  should  deal  with  you." 

METHODISM    INTRODUCED    TO    IRELAND. 

Ireland  is  the  only  country  on  which  the  Reforma- 
tion under  Luther  had  no  good  influence.  Its  rigid 
tenacity  for  Romanism  had  prevented  its  affiliation 
with  other  parts  of  the  empire,  and  it  had  long  been 
a  question  among  Protestants  how  it  could  be  reached. 
Various  schemes  had  been  suggested,  but  nothing 
done.  Wesley  and  his  coadjutors  regarding  the 
world  as  their  parish,  and  all  things  possible  to  him 
that  believeth,  laid  no  plans;  but  early  in  1747, 
Thomas  Williams  crossed  the  channel,  and  began  to 
preach  the  new  doctrine  in  Dublin,  and  immediately 


104  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

attracted  attention,  and  won  sinners  to  Christ.  Hear- 
ing of  his  success,  Mr.  Wesley  was  soon  by  his  side, 
and  formed  a  society  of  nearly  three  hundred  mem- 
bers, which  grew  to  be  the  largest  in  the  United 
Kingdom,  except  one  in  London ;  but  returned  after 
a  few  weeks,  and  was  followed  by  his  brother  and 
others,  from  whom  Ireland  received  the  word  of  life. 
The  itinerants  were  now  moving  in  all  directions, 
toiling  hard,  and  suffering  every  inconvenience  imag- 
inable but  that  of  a  guilty  conscience  and  the  frown 
of  God.  Mr.  Charles  Wesley,  writing  to  his  brother 
from  Dublin  about  buying  a  preaching  house,  that 
would  also  accommodate  the  preachers,  says:  "I 
must  go  there  or  to  some  other  lodgings,  or  take 
my  flight;  for  here  I  can  stay  no  longer.  A  family 
of  squalling  children,  a  landlady  just  ready  to  lie  in, 
a  maid  who  has  no  time  to  do  the  least  thing  for  us, 
are  some  of  our  conveniences!  Our  two  rooms  for 
four  people  (six,  when  J.  Healy  and  Haughton 
come)  allow  no  opportunity  for  retirement.  Charles 
and  I  groan  for  elbow-room  in  our  press-bed;  our 
diet  answerable  to  our  lodgings ;  no  one  to  mend  our 
clothes  and  stockings;  no  money  to  buy  more.  I 
marvel  that  we  have  stood  our  ground  so  long  in 
these  lamentable  circumstances." 

These  inconveniences,  accompanied  by  the  most 
bitter  persecution  that  Popeiy  and  carnality  could 
devise,  were  enough  to  discourage  ordinary  minds; 
but  these  men  were  prepared  for  the  emergency.  To 
the  personal  enjoyment  of  true  piety  was  added  un- 
paralleled success.  Though  ridiculed,  and  even 
mobbed  in  almost  every  place,  souls  were  awakened 
and  converted  in  great   numbers,  and   new   societies 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  WORK.  105 

sprung  up  in  various  places,  not  for  the  good  of 
that  priest-cursed  country  only,  but  for  America  and 
the  world.  God  saw  the  Irish  were  to  be  scattered 
abroad  by  the  force  of  circumstances,  and  he  took 
this  method  to  prepare  them  to  be  the  bearers  of 
vital  religion  to  all  lands  whither  they  might  go,  as 
they  have  been.  No  country  of  its  population  has 
done  more  to  diffuse  Methodism,  by  personal  repre- 
sentatives, than  Ireland.  Yet  in  no  country  was 
young  Methodism  more  brutally  persecuted.  Cork 
distinguished  itself  by  refusing  to  indict  the  rioters, 
but  did  indict  Charles  Wesley  "as  a  person  of  ill- 
fame,  a  vagabond,  and  a  common  disturber  of  His 
Majesty's  peace."  Still,  Mr.  Wesley  insisted  to  the 
last  that  ' '  the  Irish  were  the  politest  people  that  he 
ever  met." 

RELATION    OF    METHODISTS    TO    THE    CHURCH. 

Besides  the  difficulties  which  arose  from  poverty, 
unpopularity,  mobs,  etc.,  Mr.  Wesley  had  others  to 
surmount  in  carrying  out  his  design,  and  what  he 
understood  to  be  the  purpose  of  God,  that  must  not 
be  overlooked.  He  had  no  thought  of  leaving  the 
Established  Church,  and  did  not  leave  it  till  he  was 
removed  to  the  Church  triumphant.  The  societies 
he  formed  were  parts  of  the  Church,  and  aimed  not 
at  separation,  but  greater  improvement  in  the  knowl- 
edge and  love  of  God.  This  circumstance  exposed 
him  to  two  classes  of  complainers,  which  made  him 
much  trouble;  namely,  those  who  thought  he  went 
too  far ;  that  having  got  the  people  converted,  he 
ought  to  leave  them  to  the  watch-care  of  their  legal 
pastors,    particularly   where   they  were    truly    pious, 


106  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

and  not  organize  them  into  societies;  and,  on  the 
other  hand,  those  who  claimed  that  he  did  not  go 
far  enough — that  he  ought  to  secede,  and  form  an 
independent  Church. 

The  arguments  of  both  parties  bore  an  aspect  of 
plausibility,  to  say  the  least;  but  they  were  manfully 
answered.  His  reason  for  not  leaving  his  followers 
to  the  regular  clergy  was,  generally,  that  it  would 
prove  fatal  to  their  piety.  Most  of  the  clergy  would 
treat  them  with  derision,  while  the  better  disposed, 
and  even  the  most  pious  among  them,  were  incom- 
petent to  train  up  spiritual  children,  with  whom  they 
never  "travailed  in  birth."  His  reason  for  not  form- 
ing an  independency  was,  not  that  none  could  be 
saved  out  of  the  Church,  but  that  he  could  better 
spread  Scriptural  holiness  over  the  land  by  remaining 
in  it,  than  by  seceding,  which  was  probably  true  at 
that  time.  Hence,  he  resisted  every  solicitation  to 
closer  adherence  to  the  Church,  and  a  greater  de- 
parture from  it,  and  drew  near  or  receded,  as  his  ob- 
ject seemed  to  require. 

DIFFICULTY    WITH    MR.    MAXFIELD    AND    ENTHUSIASM. 

But  some  of  the  most  serious  obstacles  Methodism 
had  to  overcome  were  produced  by  her  own  mem- 
bers. We  have  referred  to  Mr.  Maxfield  as  the  first 
lay  preacher  that  appeared  in  the  Wesleyan  ranks,  a 
young  man  of  talent  and  usefulness.  He  was  or- 
dained by  Bishop  Barnard,  on  the  recommendation 
of  Mr.  Wesley;  the  bishop  saying,  at  the  time,  "Sir,  I 
ordain  you  to  assist  that  good  man,  that  he  may  not 
work  himself  to  death." 

Mr.    Maxfield  met    the    bishop's   design   admira- 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  WORK.  IOJ 

bly  for  a  while,  but  afterward  fell  out  by  the  way.  It 
is  all  the  same  with  the  enemies  of  religion,  whether 
its  friends  betray  the  cause  by  inactivity  or  enthu- 
siasm ;  and  often,  when  the  devil  fails  in  producing 
the  first,  he  will  succeed  in  the  last.  This  seems  to 
have  been  the  case  in  London,  where  Mr.  Maxneld 
was  preaching.  A  revival  was  in  powerful  progress, 
notwithstanding  much  resistance,  when  some  became 
wise  above  what  is  written,  and  dreams,  visions  and 
revelations  took  possession  of  several  minds,  and  were 
regarded  of  paramount  authority.  Mr.  Maxneld  en- 
couraged the  delusion,  which  made  it  necessary  to 
guard  against  his  influence,  and  induced  Mr.  Wesley 
to  write  him  quickly  all  that  was  in  his  heart. 

But  it  had  no  good  effect.  Mr.  Maxneld  was  too  far 
gone  to  be  recovered.  He  was  at  the  bottom  of  the 
mischief,  the  very  life  of  the  cause,  and  stirred  up  the 
people  against  Mr.  Wesley  and  the  other  preachers, 
as  too  cold  and  blind  to  teach  them  the  deep  things 
of  the  Spirit.  At  length  the  crisis  came,  and  a  con- 
siderable number  of  the  society  left,  Mr.  Maxfield 
among  the  Vest.  "And  from  that  time, "  says  Mr. 
Wesley,  "he  has  spake  all  manner  of  evil  of  me, 
his  father,  his  friend,  his  greatest  earthly  benefactor." 
Mr.  Maxfield  lived  about  twenty  years  after  his  sep- 
aration; and  Mr.  Bell  another  prominent  character  in 
the  drama,  lived  much  longer,  but  made  no  preten- 
sions to  religion.  When  the  last  of  February  (the 
time  for  the  world  to  come  to  an  end,  according  to 
his  prediction)  arrived,  and  all  things  remained  as  they 
were,  his  spirit  felt  the  rebuke,  and  veered  to  the  op- 
posite pole,  where  it  sank  into  the  icy  depths  of  in- 
fidel indifference. 


108  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

But  the  work  of  God  still  went  on  in  London  ; 
a/id,  though  seventy-five  persons  left  the  society,  sev- 
eral hundreds  remained  who  were  more  united  than 
ever.  But  the  predicton  that  the  world  was  coming 
to  an  end  on  the  28th  of  February  created  a  great 
panic;  and,  taken  in  connection  with  the  other  errors 
of  the  separatists,  and  the  transactions  to  which  they 
gave  birth,  it  was  sadly  injurious  to  the  cause  of 
religion. 

These  disturbances  originated  in  dreams  and  vis- 
ions, falsely  assumed  to  be  from  God,  which  Mr. 
Maxfield  encouraged.  Imagining  themselves  to  have 
direct  communication  from  heaven  on  all  matters, 
irrespective  of  the  Bible,  and  that  their  brethren  who 
did  not  indorse  their  operations  were  in  sin,  they  be- 
came proud,  censorious,  and  denunciatory.  When 
Mr.  Wesley  tenderly  remonstrated  with  them,  one 
cried  out,  "WTe  will  not  be  browbeaten  any  longer." 
A  few  days  after,  she  carried  her  own  and  her  hus- 
band's tickets  to  Mr.  Wesley,  saying,  "Sir,  we  will 
have  no  more  to  do  with  you ;  we  will  keep  to  Mr. 
Maxfield."  Mr.  Bell  soon  after  left  with  others,  say- 
ing,  "Blind  John  is  not  capable  of  teaching  us." 

This  was  the  beginning  of  a  great  deal  of  the 
kind  that  has  since  occurred  in  Methodist  societies 
all  over  the  world.  It  is  one  of  the  dangers  incident 
to  a  high  degree  of  religious  zeal;  and  some  have 
been  so  disgusted  with  it,  that  they  have  been  afraid 
to  have  our  people  get  happy  in  God  for  fear  they 
would  explode,  and  make  trouble.  But  this  will 
not  do.  We  must  surround  them  with  all  possible 
safeguards,  and  go  forward.  There  is  no  danger  of  a 
cold  locomotive  running  off  the  track.      If  we  do  n't 


PROGRESS   OF  THE   WORK.  109 

fire  it  up,  it  will  not  run  at  all.  So  dead  Christians 
seldom  fall  into  Maxfield's  errors,  but  they  are  en- 
thusiasts after  all,  in  expecting  the  end  without  using 
the  means. 

A    FURTHER    NOTE    OF    MR.    WHITEFIELD. 

Mr.  Whitefield  preached  Calvinism  with  all  his 
might,  and,  for  a  while,  lost  caste  with  the  societies, 
but  Calvinists  of  all  classes  rallied  to  hear  him; 
and  erected  him  a  tabernacle  near  Wesley's  Foundery. 
Though  he  had  opposed  lay  preachers  before,  he  now 
received  and  encouraged  them.  Mr.  Cennick,  Howell 
Harris,  and  others  left  Wesley  and  went  over  to  him. 
Many  of  the  aristocracy  gave  him  their  hearty  in- 
dorsement, particularly  Lady  Huntingdon,  by  whose 
liberality  and  influence  churches  were  erected  faster 
than  ministers  could  be  found  to  occupy  them. 
This  was  the  origin  of  the  "Lady  Huntingdon  Con- 
nection." It  was  not  intended  to  be  a  dissenting  body, 
but  the  good  lady  was  obliged  to  take  advantage  of 
the  "Act  of  Toleration,"  to  maintain  the  control  of 
her  chapels,  on  which  account,  Romaine  and  others 
of  her  clerical  sympathizers  felt  obliged  to  leave  her 
in  obedience  to  their  churchly  principles.  She  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty-four,  saying,  "My  work  is  done. 
I  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  go  to  my  Father,"  leav- 
ing twenty  thousand  dollars  to  charitable  objects, 
and  the  balance  of  her  estate  to  the  support  of  the 
sixty-four  chapels  which  had  been  erected  by  her  in- 
fluence. Since  that  time  the  "Connection"  bearing 
her  name  has  made  but  a  sorry  show  of  progress, 
reminding  us  again,  that  the  "race  is  not  always  to 
the    swift,    nor  •  the    battle    to    the    strong."     When 


I  I O  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

Whitefield  turned  aside  to  Calvinism,  and  drew  around 
him  admiring  crowds  of  rich  and  noble  friends,  poor 
Mr.  Wesley  was  sad  to  find  himself  left  to  plod  along 
without  money  or  popular  influence.  But  now,  while 
there  are  few  traces  of  the  former  outside  of  his 
biographies,  the  magnificent  system  and  spirit  of 
the  latter  are  still  (i  marching  along"  to  consummate 
his  grand  purpose — the  conversion  of  the  world  to 
Christ. 

But  still  Mr.  Whitefield  did  a  good  work  which 
inured  to  the  benefit  of  Scotch  Presbyterians,  the 
English  and  other  European  Churches,  and  religion 
generally  in  America.  History  records  the  name  of 
no  other  man  who  equaled  him  in  pulpit  influence. 
And  he  was  no  less  good  than  powerful.  Notwith- 
standing the  break  between  him  and  the  Wesleys,  to 
which  we  have  referred,  they  loved  as  brethren, 
and  co-operated  in  beautiful  harmony,  exchanging 
pulpits  and  preaching  together  in  the  most  friendly 
manner.  Nor  could  he  be  drawn  into  any  very  close 
sectarian  alliance.  The  Scotch  made  special  efforts 
to  bind  him  to  their  ''Solemn  League  and  Covenant;" 
but  it  was  an  utter  failure,  whereupon  they  appointed 
a  day  of  fasting,  to  pray  against  him.  The  rabble 
were  equally  unsuccessful.  He  could  control  tens 
of  thousands  of  them  on  their  own  grounds,  and 
compel  them  to  hear  him.  Though  he  was  no  organ- 
izer he  did  a  mighty  work  for  Methodism,  notwith- 
standing he  discarded  its  Arminian  doctrines. 


CHANGES.  1 1 1 


CHAPTER  VI. 

REMARKABLE      CIRCUMSTANCES WESLEY' S      VIEWS      CHANG- 
ING  EXHORTERS     PROVIDED      FOR LEANINGS      TOWARD 

INDEPENDENCY MISCELLANEOUS      MODIFICATIONS     AND 

CALVINISTIC    CONTROVERSY. 

THE  plan  of  procedure  having  become  more 
fully  settled,  the  work  of  God  went  on  much 
as  already  described,  triumphing  generally.  It  was 
resisted,  however,  at  every  point  and  by  all  possible 
means,  affording  the  Master  plenty  of  opportunities 
to  manifest  his  power  in  a  most  convincing  manner. 
Such  manifestations  are  always  necessary  in  spirit- 
ual reforms.  The  tranquillity  of  the  preachers  when 
stoned,  kicked,  and  dragged  through  the  streets  by 
mobs  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  circumstances 
of  the  times.  They  seem  to  have  been  kept  in  "per- 
fect peace."  They  maintained  the  same  composed 
state  of  mind  under  other  providential  alarms.  One 
morning,  in  1750,  when  Charles  Wesley  arose  in  the 
Foundery  to  preach,  an  earthquake  occurred,  shak- 
ing all  London,  and  terrifying  the  people  beyond 
description ;  but,  as  by  inspiration,  he  cried  aloud  to 
his  frightened  hearers,  "Therefore  will  we  not  fear, 
though  the  earth  be  moved  and  the  hrlls  be  carried 
into  the  midst  of  the  sea;  for  the  Lord  of  hosts  is 
with  us,  the  God  of  Jacob  is  our  refuge."  Speaking 
of  the  matter  afterward,  he  said  his  "heart  was  filled 


112  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

with  faith  and  his  mouth"  with  words,  shaking  their 
souls  as  well  as  their  bodies;"  and  during  the  night 
following,  while  many,  alarmed,  came  to  the  Foun- 
dery  begging  for  admittance,  "our  poor  people,"  he 
says,  "were  calm  and  quiet  as  at  any  other  time," 
thus  demonstrating  that  God  was  with  them. 

The  singular  manner  in  which  the  enemies  of  the 
cause  were  sometimes  arrested  was  equally  impressive. 

A    CASE    IN    POINT. 

John  Thorp,  of  Yorkshire,  was  a  tippler,  and  one 
of  a  gang  who  undertook  to  suppress  the  work  by 
burlesque  and  mimicry.  On  one  bacchanalian  occa- 
sion three  of  the  number  had  tried  their  hand  at  it, 
when  John  sprang  to  the  table,  inspired  with  ale, 
declaring  that  he  wrould  "beat  all  of  them  by  taking 
off  Whitefield. "  Opening  the  Testament  at  random, 
he  read,  "Except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise 
perish."  The  text  struck  his  own  heart  like  a  bolt 
from  heaven,  but  he  spoke,  to  the  astonishment  of 
all  who  heard  him.  He  said,  after  he  became  one 
of  Wesley's  preachers,  that  some  of  his  sentences 
made  his  own  hair  stand  erect,  and  that  ' '  if  he  ever 
preached  in  his  life  by  the  assistance  of  the  spirit  of 
God,  it  was  at  that  time."  Having  ended  his  dis- 
course, he  left  the  room  and  his  companions  without 
a  word,  and  after  a  long  and  hard  struggle  found 
peace  in  believing,  and  became  a  very  holy  and  use- 
ful minister. 

mr.  wesley's  views  changing. 

The  reader  must  have  been  amazed,  in  tracing 
the  foregoing  pages,  at  the  tenacity  with  which  Mr. 


CHANGES.  I  1 3 

Wesley  clung  to  the  Church.  Excluded  from  its 
pulpits,  denounced  by  many  of  its  bishops  and  other 
clergy,  mobbed  by  their  approval  and  instigation 
even,  and  often  shocked  by  their  wickedness,  it  was 
reasonable  to  believe  that  he  would  become  alien- 
ated; but  he  seems  to  have  held  on  to  the  last,  and 
it  was  wise,  perhaps,  that  he  did  so.  Reformers 
have  often  defeated  their  own  objects  by  taking  the 
opposite  course.  Many  have  lost  their  cause  and 
their  lives  by  leaving  what  seemed  to  them  to  be  a 
sinking  ship,  while  those  wTho  remained  on  board 
saved  both. 

We  have  seen  how  much  books  had  to  do  with 
his  early  experience.  Needing  improvement  in  an- 
other direction,  Lord  King's  ''Account  of  the  Primi- 
tive Church"  comes  to  his  aid  and  makes  a  powerful 
impression.  "In  spite  of  the  vehement  prejudice  of 
my  education,"  he  says,  "I  was  ready  to  believe 
that  this  was  a  fair  and  impartial  draft;  but,  if  so,  it 
would  follow  that  bishops  and  presbyters  are  (essen- 
tially) of  one  order,  and  that  originally  every  Chris- 
tian congregation  was  a  Church  independent  of  all 
others."  This  exploded  his  notions  of  apostolic  suc- 
cession, and  left  him  free  to  follow  Providence  in 
providing  for  his  multiplying  followers,  though  he 
had  no  intention  at  the  time  of  organizing  a  new 
sect.  According  to  this  doctrine,  there  was  no  fur- 
ther necessity  for  his  going  to  the  bishops  for  ordina- 
tion or  any  thing  else ;  nor,  indeed,  was  ordination 
from  any  source  necessary  to  a  Gospel  ministry, 
however  convenient  and  appropriate  it  might  be  as  a 
public  and  formal  consecration  of  a  minister  to  his 
work.     The  main  point  with  him  now  was  the  call 


114  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

of  God.  Having  this,  a  man  was  divinely  authorized, 
irrespective  of  bishops  or  conventions,  to  go  forward. 
These  views  prepared  him  for  important  measures 
which  he  did  not  then  anticipate. 

.  With  this  start  in  the  right  direction,  he  was 
prepared  to  say,  two  years  after,  that  "a  national 
Church  is  a  political  institution,"  and  that  the  three 
orders,  bishop,  priest,  and  deacon,  are  not  enjoined 
by  the  Scriptures;  that  conformity  in  Church  gov- 
ernment was  not  taught  by  the  inspired  writers,  and 
many  other  kindred  sentiments  in  opposition  to  his 
former  convictions. 

THE    CALL    TO    PREACH HOW    TESTED. 

The  third  Conference,  held  at  Bristol  May  12, 
1746,  brought  up  the  subject  of  a  call  to  preach, 
which  Avas  agitating  the  minds  of  many  young  men 
no  less  than  that  of  Mr.  Wesley.  To  the  question, 
1 '  How  shall  we  try  those  who  think  they  are  moved 
by  the  Holy  Ghost  and  are  called  to  preach?"  the 
following  tests  were  given :  "  1 .  Do  they  know  God 
as  a  pardoning  God?  Have  they  the  love  of  God 
abiding  in  them?  Do  they  desire  and  seek  nothing 
but  God?  and  are  they  holy  in  all  manner  of  conver- 
sation? 2.  Have  they  gifts  (as  well  as  grace)  for 
the  work?  Have  they  (in  some  tolerable  degree) 
a  clear,  sound  understanding?  Have  they  a  right 
judgment  in  the  things  of  God?  Have  they  a  just 
conception  of  salvation  by  faith?  and  has  God  given 
them  any  degree  of  utterance?  Do  they  speak 
justly,  readily,  clearly?  3.  Have  they  fruit?  Are 
any  truly  convinced  of  sin  and  converted  to  God  by 
their  preaching?     As  long  as  these  three  marks  con- 


CHANGES.  1 1 5 

cur  in  any,  we  believe  that  he  is  called  of  God  to 
preach.  These  we  receive  as  a  sufficient  proof  that 
he  is  moved  thereto  by  the  Holy  Ghost." 

This  is  one  of  the  boldest  and  grandest  planks  in 
the  Methodist  platform,  and  has  stood  the  test  of 
criticism  to  the  present  day.  (See  Discipline,  par. 
138-142.)  And  there  never  has  been  a  moment 
when  it  was  more  important  to  be  strictly  observed 
in  our  administration  than  now.  No  formulas  or  lit- 
erary acquirements  can  supersede  it.  It  is  funda- 
mental to  the  perpetuity  of  Methodism  in  the  world 
as  a  spiritual  power.  If  a  man  possesses  these  quali- 
fications, he  is  called  of  God  to  preach,  irrespective 
of  his  birth,  education,  nationality,  or  color.  If  he 
is  without  them,  he  is  not  called,  though  he  may 
have  every  other  imaginable  endowment.  We  may 
as  safely  let  the  doctrines  of  the  trinity  or  the  new 
birth  drop  out  of  our  creed  as  to  overlook  this  in 
our  administration;  and  now  that  education  and 
ministerial  salaries  and  conveniences  are  increasing 
among  us,  there  is  vastly  more  danger  of  our  fal- 
tering at  this  point  than  in  relation  to  any  other. 
" Fruit"  was  originally  an  indispensable  proof  of 
this  call.      May  it  continue  to  be  so  forever! 

EXHORTERS    PROVIDED    FOR. 

This  Conference  too,  provided  for  another  class  of 
workers,  which  still  holds  an  honorable  position  in 
the  ranks  of  Methodism ;  we  refer  to  exhorters.  The 
object  of  them  was  to  keep  down  a  certain  class  of 
excitable  and  ignorant  persons,  of  little  capacity, 
and  bring  out  all  who  might  be  useful  in  public 
exhortation  and  prayer.     Hence,  it  was  ordained  that 


1 1 6  HIST  OR  Y  OF  METHODISM. 

none  should  be  allowed  to  exercise  in  this  way,  with- 
out a  note  of  authority  or  license  from  the  preacher, 
to  be  renewed  annually.  Under  this  arrangement, 
persons  of  marked  adaptation  to  the  work,  appearing 
in  the  classes  and  love-feasts,  were  made  exhorters, 
and,  filling  this  office  well,  were  graduated  to  the 
local  ministry;  and  from  that,  if  suitable,  to  the  itin- 
erant work.  To  say  nothing  of  it  as  a  suppressing 
measure,  it  is  admirably  adapted  to  develop  men  for 
the  higher  activities  of  the  ministry;  and  we  think 
this  license  should  be  often  given,  where  we  now 
give  a  license  to  preach.  Trembling  beginners  will 
generally  pass  better  with  a  congregation  as  exhorters 
than  as  preachers.  Let  it  be  announced  that  ' '  Rev. 
Mr.  T.  will  preach,"  and  it  will  be  a  failure,  where 
the  same  service  would  prove  a  success,  being  under- 
stood that  "brother  T.  would  lead  the  meeting."  On 
the  same  principle,  high-sounding  titles,  such  as  D. 
D.,  have  often  depreciated  service  that  would  have 
been  quite  acceptable  and  useful  under  less  preten- 
tious announcements.  They  create  high  expecta- 
tions, which,  being  disappointed,  a  respectable  effort 
passes  for  nothing, 

LEANING    TOWARD    INDEPENDENCY. 

Up  to  this  time  Mr.  Wesley's  hope  was  to  effect 
such  a  revival  in  the  Church,  that  the  clergy  would 
look  after  his  converts,  and  render  any  serious  devi- 
ation from  canonical  order  unnecessary.  He  had 
been  so  fearful  of  breaking  away  from  the  Church, 
that  he  had  held  many  of  his  new  appliances  under 
restraint,  having  misgivings  about  his  lay  preachers, 
and  instructing  them,  at  times,  not  to  form  any  new 


CHANGES.  1 1 7 

societies,  etc.  But  his  late  discoveries  on  ecclesias- 
tical questions,  and  the  failure  of  the  clergy  to  sym- 
pathize with  his  objects,  together  with  the  unprece- 
dented rally  of  the  people  to  his  meetings,  forced 
him  to  more  decisive  action  in  several  particulars. 
One  was,  to  map  out  his  territory  into  circuits,  and 
place  his  preachers  on  them.  Another  most  reason- 
able one  was  to  form  societies  wherever  God  should 
bring  the  people  to  accept  his  message.  He  did 
this  because,  as  he  says,  under  the  other  policy  "al- 
most all  the  seed  has  fallen  upon  the  wayside;  there 
is  scarce  any  fruit  of  it  remaining."  This  was  done 
at  the  fifth  conference,  in  1748,  when  the  preachers 
were  urged  to  more  brotherly  fraternity  among  them- 
selves. In  1749  he  took  another  step  toward  con- 
solidation, in  appointing  one  of  his  helpers  in  each 
circuit  to  take  charge  of  all  the  societies,  giving  him 
the  name  of  "assistant."  The  same  conference  pro- 
vided for  holding  "  quarterly  "-meetings,  while  love- 
feasts  and  watch-nights  were  to  be  held  monthly. 
The  assistant  was  required,  too,  to  supply  every 
society  with  books  and  tracts,  and  report  and  pay 
over  the  money  received  for  them  at  the  quarterly- 
meetings.  This  was  the  organic  commencement  of 
the  Methodist  book  business,  which  went  forth  into 
all  lands  with  the  ministry,  and  as  a  part  of  minis- 
terial work.  Here,  too,  was  the  systematic  com- 
mencement of  tract  distribution  as  a  means  of  salva- 
tion, which  has  since  grown  to  mammoth  proportions. 
Taking  all  these  things  together,  Methodism  began 
to  look  a  good  deal  like  a  Church,  having  a  creed,  dis- 
cipline, societies,  conferences,  a  generally  recognized 
leader,  assistants,  helpers,  etc.;    but  still  Mr.  Wesley 


I  1 8  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  METHODISM. 

disclaimed  every  thing  of  the  sort,  calling-  his  meet- 
ing-houses "chapels"  and  his  assemblies  "societies." 
Nevertheless,  the  Church  was  there,  and  the  gates  of 
hell  have  never  been  able  to  prevail  against  it. 

MISCELLANEOUS    EVENTS. 

With  these  common-sense  arrangements,  Mr.  Wes- 
ley and  his  associates  proceeded  to  cultivate  their  old 
fields  and  open  new  ones  as  they  were  able.  They 
encountered  much  opposition,  but  mobs  were  less 
frequent  and  violent  than  formerly,  particularly  with 
the  leaders.  He  went  to  Scotland,  but  found  it  less 
impressible  than  any  other  country  he  visited.  Cal- 
vinism was  the  prevailing  sentiment  of  the  State 
Church,  and  to  defend  that  was  the  highest  type  of 
piety.  Debate  was  the  order  of  the  day  generally. 
In  1756  Charles  Wesley  retired  from  the  itinerancy, 
and  confined  his  labors  chiefly  to  London  and  Bris- 
tol. In  reviewing  the  work,  Mr.  Wesley  remarks : 
"I  preached  on  these  words:  'He  hath  not  dealt  so 
with  any  nation, '  no,  not  even  with  Scotland  nor  New 
England.  In  both  these,  God  has  indeed  made  bare 
his  arm,  yet  not  in  so  astonishing  a  manner  as  among 
us,"  in  the  following  particulars:  1.  The  number  re- 
formed. 2.  The  swiftness  of  the  work,  in  sudden  con- 
versions. 3.  The  depth  of  it,  changing  the  heart  and 
life.  4.  In  its  clearness,  giving  assurance  of  God's  love. 
5.  In  its  continuation — the  work  in  Scotland  and  New 
Enoland  lasting;  but  a  few  weeks,  while  this  had  con- 
tinued  eighteen  years;  besides,  those  works  had  been 
aided  by  many  of  the  most  eminent  ministers,  where- 
as in  this  "only  two  or  three  inconsiderable  clergy- 
men,  with  a  few  young,    unlettered  men,"  had   been 


CHANGES.  II9 

engaged,  and  these  ' '  had  been  opposed  by  nearly  all 
the  clergy  and  laity  of  the  nation." 

Mr.  Wesley  traversed  Ireland  several  times,  with 
good  success.  In  1752  he  made  another  trip,  and 
became  acquainted  with  a  young  man  by  the  name 
of  Embury,  of  German  origin,  who  was  afterward 
licensed  to  preach,  and  had  the  honor  of  preaching 
the  first  Methodist  sermon  and  forming  the  first 
class  in  America,  as  will  appear  hereafter.  In  some 
parts  the  work  was  powerful,  and  raised  communi- 
ties from  the  lowest  degradation  to  the  highest  moral 
respectability.  But  his  labors  and  cares  at  last  over- 
came him.  Near  the  close  of  1753  he  was  brought 
low  by  disease,  and  expected  the  next  hour  would 
be  his  last,  when  he  wrote  his  own  modest  epitaph, 
as  follows:  "  Here  lieth  the  body  of  John  Wesley, 
a  brand  plucked  from  the  burning,  who  died  of  con- 
sumption in  the  fifty-first  year  of  his  age,  not  leaving, 
after  his  debts  are  paid,  ten  pounds  behind  him." 
But"  prayer  was  offered  for  his  recovery,  and  he  was 
spared  to  carry  forward  the  good  work  which  he  had 
so  wonderfully  begun. 

FIRST    MENTION    OF    SALARIES. 

There  having  been  no  arrangements  made  for  the 
support  of  the  preachers  beyond  their  traveling  ex- 
penses, which  were  paid  by  the  stewards,  and  many 
having  been  obliged  to  leave  the  work  to  provide 
for  their  families,  the  conference  of  1752  ordained 
that  each  preacher  should  receive  twelve  pounds  (a 
little  less  than  sixty  dollars)  per  annum,  provided 
the  people  pleased  to  pay  it.  But  even  this  small 
amount  was  seldom  realized.     This  action,  however, 


120  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

authorizing  it,  was  the  beginning  of  Methodist  legis- 
lation on  the  subject  of  ministerial  salaries,  and 
formed  a  sort  of  model  for  future  estimates.  About 
sixty  dollars  was  the  standard  "quarterage"  of  all 
classes  of  traveling  preachers  in  this  country  for 
many  years,  but  was  seldom  obtained. 

A    DANGEROUS    POINT    SAFELY  PASSED. 

The  question  of  ecclesiasticism  was  ever  present, 
and  always  a  disturbing  element  among  the  societies. 
As  before  shown,  the  Wesleys  were  scrupulously 
attached  to  the  established  Church.  John  had  be- 
come considerably  shaken,  but  Charles  was  inflexible. 
Some  of  the  lay  preachers  had  no  sympathy  with 
their  views  on  the  subject,  and  had  broken  over  so 
far  as  to  administer  the  sacraments,  and  quite  a  little 
controversy  had  commenced,  creating  serious  appre- 
hensions that  the  conference  of  1755  would  result  in 
an  open  rupture.  Three  days  were  given  to  the  dis- 
cussion, when  the  lay  preachers  agreed,  for  the  sake 
of  peace,  to  cease  from  administering  the  sacraments, 
and  the  question  of  separation  was  postponed,  though 
not  settled.  While  John  Wesley  resisted  separation, 
he  confessed  that  he  was  unable  to  answer  the  argu- 
ments in  favor  of  it ;  but  he  was  afraid  the  preachers 
and  people  would  leave,  not  the  Church,  but  "the 
love  of  God."  "I  dare  not  in  conscience,"  he  says, 
"spend  my  time  and  strength  on  externals.  If,  as 
my  lady  says,  all  outward  establishments  are  Babel, 
so  is  this  establishment.  Let  it  stand,  for  me;  I 
neither  set  it  up  nor  pull  it  down.  But  let  you  and 
I  build  up  the  city  of  God.  .  .  .  Church  or  no 
Church,  we  must  attend  to  the  work  of  saving  souls." 


CHANGES,  121 

Charles  Wesley  took  offense,  and  thought  he 
would  never  attend  another  conference;  but  he  did, 
the  very  next  one;  and  did  good  work  afterward. 
Dr.  Stevens  well  says  of  him:  "Methodism  owes  in- 
estimable obligations  to  Charles  Wesley  for  the  un- 
rivaled Psalmody  which  he  gave  it,  and  for  his  elo- 
quence, his  travels,  and  his  sufferings  in  its  behalf. 
His  ecclesiasticism,  however,  continually  retarded  its 
development,  and  had  he  ultimately  prevailed,  he 
would  have  defeated  one  of  the  most  momentous 
measures  in  its  history — its  American  organization." 
(His.,  Vol.  I,  p.  399.)  It  is  believed  by  many  that 
had  Methodism  broken  loose  from  the  Church  at 
that  time,  it  might  have  been  better;  but  this  is 
by  no  means  certain.  Wesley's  "twelve  reasons" 
for  not  doing  so  are  worthy  of  consideration.  They 
had  a  soothing  influence,  and  great  harmony  prevailed. 

OF  MINISTERS,    STATISTICS,    ETC. 

The  twenty-second  conference  was  held  in  Man- 
chester, August  30,  1765,  and  assumed  the  order  of 
business  and  the  publication  of  minutes,  embracing 
the  names  of  the  preachers  and  their  appointments, 
which  has  been  maintained,  with  variations,  ever 
since.  This  conference,  too,  provided  for  certificates, 
or  tickets,  securing  members  recognition  in  other 
societies;  for  men  and  women  sitting  apart  in  church; 
for  the  limitation  of  love-feasts  to  an  hour  and  a 
half;  for  congregational  singing;  family  prayer,  morn- 
ing and  evening ;  for  the  total  abstinence  of  preachers 
from  tobacco  and  drams,  etc.  ;  for  clerical  super- 
annuation. 

Up  to   this   time   there    seems   to  have  been   no 


122  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  THODISM. 

attempt  to  number  the  people;  but  at  the  next  con- 
ference an  imperfect  beginning  was  made  in  this 
direction,  showing  from  many  of  the  circuits  about 
one  hundred  preachers,  and  more  than  ten  thousand 
members.  Collections  had  been  made  for  some 
years  to  aid  the  poorer  societies.  This  year  the  debt 
on  all  the  chapels  amounted  to  over  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  upon  which  Mr.  Wesley  said,  "We  shall  be 
utterly  ruined  if  we  go  on  at  this  rate,"  and  ordered 
that  no  building  should  be  commenced  until  two- 
thirds  of  the  cost  of  it  should  be  subscribed.  Mr. 
Wesley's  concluding  address  originated  his  memor- 
able instructions  on  pastoral  visiting,  instructing  the 
children,  reading,  etc.,  which  still  form  a  part  of  our 
excellent  Discipline. 

The  conference  of  1767  was  distinguished  by  the 
admission  of  Francis  Asbury  on  trial,  who  afterward 
became  the  hero  of  American  Methodism.  Its  im- 
proved statistical  reports  showed  a  large  increase  of 
members,  amounting  to  25,911.  The  sale  of  the 
books  was  urged  with  more  emphasis,  and  the  assist- 
ants were  required  to  give  them  prudently  to  the 
poor,  and  beg  the  money  to  pay  for  them,  thus  initi- 
ating the  policy  which  has  been  developed  in  the 
organization  of  our  Sunday-school  and  Tract  Socie- 
ties. Finding  some  of  the  trustees  were  anxious  lest 
the  same  preachers  should  be  returned  to  them  many 
years  in  succession,  they  were  allowed  to  insert  a 
clause  in  their  new  deeds  restricting  their  continu- 
ance to  two  years. 

The  conference  of  1769  reported  28,263  members, 
and  instituted  a  new  question;  namely,  "Who  is 
willing   to   go    to    America?"   in    response   to   a   call 


CHANGES.  123 

from  New  York,  where  Mr.  Embury  had  struck  the 
first  blow,  and  had  erected  a  little  chapel ;  Richard 
Boardman  and  Joseph  Pilmour  consented,  and  were 
appointed.  A  noble  collection  of  some  three  hun- 
dred and  forty  dollars  was  then  taken  on  the  spot, 
nearly  one  hundred  of  which  went  to  pay  the  ex- 
penses of  the  voyage,  and  the  balance  was  appropri- 
ated toward  the  debt  resting  on  the  first  Methodist 
chapel  in  the  New  World.  Thus  matters  went  on 
from  year  to  year,  continually  improving  in  system, 
numbers,  and  strength,  but  not  without  much  labor 
and  personal  sacrifice. 

MR.    WHITEFIELD'S   DEATH. 

Though  this  wonderful  man  differed  with  Mr. 
Wesley  on  doctrinal  grounds,  he  still  co-operated 
with  him  in  the  most  fraternal  spirit  and  manner. 
This  difference  gave  him  many  advantages,  especially 
in  Scotland  and  America,  and  enabled  him  to  achieve 
in  those  countries  what  he  could  not  have  done  as 
an  Arminian.  Though  he  was  theoretically  a  Cal- 
vinist,  he  generally  preached  as  free  and  full  salva- 
tion as  any  Methodist  could  desire.  He  was  born 
an  orator,  converted  on  fire,  and  the  flame  increased 
to  the  morning  of  his  ascension.  He  flew  from 
country  to  country,  crossing  the  Atlantic  thirteen 
times,  preached  eighteen  thousand  sermons,  or  ten 
per  week  during  the  thirty-four  years  of  his  public 
ministry,  and  addressed  more  people,  probably,  than 
any  man  that  ever  lived.  He  left  England  for  the 
last  time  in  September,  1769,  and  after  traversing 
America  for  a  few  months,  preaching  several  times  a 
week   to   entranced    and    weeping    throngs,    he    died 


124  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

suddenly  of  asthma  at  Newburyport,  September  30, 
1770,  just  as  the  sun  was  rising,  and  left  a  name  that 
will  be  as  enduring  as  eternity. 

THE  CALVINISTIC  CONTROVERSY. 

The  next  general  conflict  the  societies  experienced 
arose  from  a  revival  of  Autinomianism,  which  was 
eating  out  the  vitals  of  religion  all  over  the  kingdom. 
Though  Methodism  had  excluded  none  from  its  fel- 
lowship on  account  of  doctrinal  errors,  it  neverthe- 
less had  a  theory  of  its  own,  which  was  considered 
important,  though  not  positively  indispensable  to 
regeneration.  But  it  now  became  evident  enough 
that  some  of  those  principles,  which  had  been  treated 
with  great  liberality,  were  working  the  death  of 
practical  piety.  This  was  particularly  the  case  with 
that  system  of  error  called  Antinomianism,  which 
assumes  that,  as  the  elect  can  not  fall  from  grace, 
nor  forfeit  the  divine  favor,  the  wicked  actions  they 
commit  not  being  really  sinful,  they  have  no  occa- 
sion either  to  confess  their  sins,  or  to  break  them 
off  by  repentance.  In  the  presence  of  such  views, 
Methodism  seemed  to  be  the  grossest  kind  of  error 
and  enthusiasm.  If  the  elect  were  so  bound  that 
they  could  not  sin,  reprobates  could  not  reform,  and 
all  attempts  to  interfere  with  either  could  but  be  at 
variance  with  the  decrees  of  the  Almighty.  Under 
such  teachings  the  spirituality  of  the  Church  had 
greatly  declined,  and  must  necessarily  suffer  still 
further  damage.      Mr.   Fletcher  saw  this,   and  wrote : 

"At  this  time  we  stand  particularly  in  danger  of 
splitting  upon  the  Antinomian  rock.  Many  smatter- 
ers  in  Christian  experience  talk  of  fi?iisJied  salvation 


CHANGES.  125 

in  Christ,  or  boast  of  being  in  a  state  of  justification 
and  sanctification,  while  they  know  little  of  them- 
selves, and  less  of  Christ.  Their  whole  behavior  tes- 
tifies that  their  heart  is  void  of  humble  love,  and  full 
of  carnal  confidence.  They  cry  'Lord,  Lord?  with  as 
much  assurance  and  as  little  right  as  the  foolish  vir- 
gins. They  pass  for  sweet  Christians,  dear  children 
of  God,  and  good  believers ;  but  their  secret  reserves 
evidence  them  to  be  only  such  believers  as  Simon 
Magus,  Ananias,  and'  Sapphira. " 

To  prevent  this  terrible  malaria  from  poisoning 
the  young  societies,  which  had  now  become  pretty  nu- 
merous, the  conference  of  1770  called  up  the  subject, 
and  reaffirmed  certain  propositions  directly  opposed 
to  the  Antinomian  theory.  The  minutes  of  this  con- 
ference created  great  excitement.  The  Calvinists 
took  the  alarm,  and  the  Honorable  and  Reverend 
Walter  Shirley  wrote  a  circular  letter  to  all  the  se- 
rious clergy,  and  certain  laymen,  inviting  them  to 
meet  at  Bristol  on  the  sixth  of  the  following  August, 
the  time  and  place  of  Mr.  Wesley's  next  conference, 
and  go  to  the  conference  in  a  body,  and  "insist 
on  a  formal  recantation  of  the  said  minutes, "and  in 
case  of  a  refusal,  "that  they  sign  and  publish  their 
protest  against  them,"  a  most  singular  interference 
with  other  people's  business,  and  an  assumption  of 
right,  which  indicates  more  of  conceit  than  humility. 
What  gave  special  influence  to  the  letter,  was  the 
fact  that  the  proposition  originated  with  Lady  Hunt- 
ingdon, an  old  friend  of  Mr.  Wesley,  and  of  the 
Wesleyan  movement. 

Mr.     Fletcher,     characterized     as    the     "Sainted 
Fletcher,"   because    of   his    extraordinary    piety,    on 


1 26  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

receiving  one  of  these  circulars,  communicated  the  con- 
tents to  Mr.  Wesley,  proposing  to  stand  by  him  and 
his  doctrine  to  the  last.  He  also  wrote  to  Mr.  Shir- 
ley, entreating  him  to  recall  his  circulars,  and  wrote 
such  other  letters  as  he  thought  might  be  necessary, 
in  order  to  counteract  the  influence  of  the  plot. 
But  all  availed  nothing.  The  opposition  to  the  min- 
utes waxed  warm,  and  a  long  controversy  ensued,  to 
which  we  are  indebted  for  Fletcher's  four  volumes 
of  "Checks  to  Antinomianism  ;"  a  work  which  has, 
indeed,  agreeably  to  its  talented  author's  promise, 
stood  by  Mr.  Wesley  and  his  principles  "to  the  last." 
Being  written  in  a  charming  style,  and  with  a  power 
of  argument  which  no  sophistry  can  gainsay;  and, 
withal,  breathing  the  very  spirit  of  heaven  in  every 
line,  it  has  been  a  bulwark  of  defense  to  our  the- 
ology, against  which  all  the  fiery  darts  of  opponents 
have  been  hurled  in  vain.  How  much  we  owe,  how 
much  the  truth  of  God  owes,  how  much  the  univer- 
sal Church  and  the  world  owe  to  this  work,  we,  of 
course,  have  no  means  of  exact  information;  but  in 
our  opinion,  there  is  not  a  work  extant  which  has 
done  more,  under  God,  for  the  honor  and  perpetuity 
of  Christian  theology  in  its  purity  and  power.  Under 
its  withering  glance,  error  has  blushed  and  fled  away, 
or  assumed  a  new  aspect,  which,  in  its  turn,  has  been 
rebuked,  and  retired.  Its  birth  was  a  glorious  era  in 
Methodism.  We  commend  the  work  to  the  careful 
examination  of  all  who  are  in  any  way  troubled  with 
the  Calvinistic  delusion.  They  will  find  it  a  sover- 
eign argument  against  it  as  it  was,  or  now  is,  when  it 
is  properly  understood.  And  it  is  equally  appro- 
priate to  those  who  would  understand  the  doctrines 


CHANGES.  127 

of  Methodism,  and  the  grounds  on  which  they  rest 
for  defense.  Every  preacher,  especially,  should  read 
it  carefully.  It  is  an  ample  remedy  for  modern 
fatalism,  that  is  creeping  into  the  Church  under  the 
guise  of  science;  and  is  solid  gold  when  compared 
with  many  modern  works  which  aim  to  meet  the 
emergency. 

Tuesday,  August  6th,  the  conference  commenced 
its  session,  and  Mr.  Shirley  and  his  friends  appeared. 
The  conversation  that  ensued  lasted  two  hours,  and 
elicited  mutual  explanations;  but  no  "recantation;" 
and  the  controversy  ensued,  to  which  we  have  re- 
ferred ;  Mr.  Fletcher  managing  the  Arminian  side  of 
the  question,  and  Mr.  Shirley,  Rowland  Hill,  Augus- 
tus Montague  Toplady,  Mr.  Berridge,  and  other  able 
and  distinguished  divines,  the  Calvinistic  side;  thus 
relieving  Mr.  Wesley  from  a  task  that  in  other  con- 
troversies had  devolved  upon  him,  and  leaving  him 
at  liberty  to  prosecute  the  great  work  of  which  he 
was  the  acknowledged  leader.  The  debate  lasted  six 
years,  and  created  much  excitement.  Many  bitter 
words  were  employed  by  some  of  the  contestants, 
who  deeply  regretted  them  afterward.  Toplady  alone 
retained  his  prejudice  to  the  last,  and  made  no  re- 
traction ;  but  all  agreed  that  Mr.  Fletcher  maintained 
himself  with  admirable  saintliness.  Most  of  his  op- 
ponents loved  and  honored  him.  As  he  entered  the 
parsonage  of  Mr.  Berridge  twenty  years  after,  Mr. 
Berridge  ran  and  took  him  in  his  arms,  exclaiming, 
"My  dear  brother,  this  is  indeed  a  satisfaction  I 
never  expected.  How  could  we  write  against  each 
other,  when  we  both  aim  at  the  same  thing,  the  glory 
of  God  and  the  good  of  souls?"    Some  evils  attended 


1 2  8  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

the  controversy  no  doubt;  but  it  revolutionized  the 
theology  of  the  nations,  and  laid  the  foundation  for 
the  great  revivals  of  religion  that  have  lifted  the 
world  to  a  higher  plane  of  sentiment  and  practice 
than  it  ever  occupied  before.  The  "Checks"  were  tri- 
umphant, and  still  hold  the  field.  They  were  written 
in  the  spirit  of  profound  piety,  and  on  the  borders  of 
eternity.  Speaking  of  a  call  he  made  on  Mr.  Fletcher 
during  this  discussion,  a  visitor  remarks,  "I  went  to 
see  a  man  with  one  foot  in  the  grave,  but  found  him 
with  one  foot  in  heaven." 

One  of  the  most  marked  evils  of  the  controversy 
occurred  in  Scotland.  Many  had  been  converted 
there  and  several  societies  formed.  But  in  the  midst 
of  the  work  this  question  arose.  The  excellent  Mr. 
Hervey,  author  of  the  "Meditations,"  and  an  old 
pupil  of  Mr.  Wesley,  had  formerly  been  induced  to 
write  some  letters,  which  being  now  published  and 
scattered  among  the  young  believers  did  much  harm.* 
"0,"  said  one  of  the  preachers  then  in  Scotland, 
"the  precious  convictions  which  these  letters  have 
destroyed !  Many,  that  have  often  declared  the  great 
profit  they  received  under  our  ministry,  were  by  these 
induced  to  leave  us."  "Though  the  preachers  met 
with  no  mobs  in  Scotland  to  oppose  their  progress, 
they  encountered  prejudices  that  were  more  formida- 
ble." Says  Dr.  Whitehead:  "They  found  the  Scots 
strongly  intrenched  within  the  lines  of  religious  opin- 
ions and  modes  of  worship,  which  almost  bade  defi- 
ance to  any  mode  of  attack." 

*  These  letters  were  not  published  till  after  Mr.  Hervey's  death, 
and  then  against  his  dying  prohibition ;  to  serve  two  objects, 
namely:  the  covetousness  of  one  man  and  the  bigotry  of  another. 


CHANGES.  I29 

A    LESSON    WORTH    REMEMBERING. 

We  can  not  discuss  this  subject  without  asking 
special  attention  to  one  aspect  of  it  that  is  liable  to 
be  overlooked.  History,  to  effect  all  its  legitimate 
objects,  must  mark  the  defects  of  men  and  measures 
as  well  as  their  excellencies. 

The  early  patronage  of  Lady  Huntingdon  was  a 
matter  of  no  small  importance  to  Mr.  Wesley  and 
his  friends.  Her  wealth  and  rank  gave  her  a  com- 
manding influence.  Young  Methodism,  in  its  weak- 
ness and  unpopularity,  needed  just  that  thing  to 
encourage  and  carry  it  through  the  difficulties  it  had 
to  encounter.  It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  the 
pious  lady  was  prized  and  petted.  Then,  it  was  a 
very  unusual  thing  for  a  woman  of  her  rank  to  be 
so  devout.  The  "Holy  Club"  could  but  esteem  her 
on  this  account. 

In  the  fullness  of  her  love  for  the  cause,  she 
established  a  seminary  at  Trevecka,  in  Wales,  for 
the  education  of  pious  young  men  for  the  ministry, 
admitting  none  except  such  as  had  been  "converted 
to  God  and  were  resolved  to  dedicate  themselves  to 
his  service."  They  were  allowed  to  remain  three 
years,  and  have  their  board  and  tuition  free,  with  one 
suit  of  clothes  a  year,  and  on  leaving  they  might  go 
to  the  established  Church  or  join  any  other  Protest- 
ant Church  —  a  noble  charity  which  could  but  be 
commended.  On  this  basis  Mr.  Fletcher  accepted 
her  invitation  to  take  the  charge,  and  Mr.  Benson 
to  be  head  master,  and  things  went  on  beautifully. 
Mr.  Benson  gave  his  whole  time  to  the  work, 
and   Mr.   Fletcher  was   there   often — more   than  was 


130  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

expected  at  the  outset — breathing  his  holy  influence 
upon  the  young  men,  and  was  universally  admired — 
almost  worshiped.  It  was,  indeed,  a  model  school, 
that  can  hardly  be  too  closely  imitated  by  our  own 
theological  seminaries.  But  by  some  means  the  good 
lady  became  so  thoroughly  wedded  to  the  deci'ees 
that  when  the  minutes  of  the  conference  of  1770 
came  out,  though  they  set  forth  no  other  doctrine 
than  had  been  preached  from  the  beginning  of  the 
movement,  she  put  her  little  foot  down,  and  deter- 
mined to  purge  her  school  and  chapels  of  all  Armin- 
ian  teachers  and  preachers.  Accordingly,  she  sum- 
marily dismissed  Mr.  Benson,  simply  because  he  did 
not  believe  the  doctrine  of  "absolute  predestination." 
Mr.  Fletcher  wrote  her  that  he  did  hold,  with  Mr. 
Wesley,  "the  possibility  of  salvation  for  all  men. 
If  this  is  what  you  call  Mr.  Wesley's  opinion  and 
Arminianism,  and  if  every  Arminian  must  qiut  the  col- 
lege, I  am  actually  discharged;  for,  in  my  present 
view  of  things,  I  must  hold  that  sentiment  if  I  be- 
lieve that  the  Bible  is  true  and  that  God  is  love.  .  . 
For  my  part,  I  am  no  party  man.  In  the  Lord,  I 
am  your  servant  and  that  of  your  every  student; 
but  I  can  not  give  up  the  honor  of  being  counted 
with  my  old  friends,  who,  notwithstanding  their  fail- 
ings, are  entitled  to  my  respect,  gratitude,  and  affec- 
tion. Mr.  Wesley  shall  always  be  welcome  to  my 
pulpit,  and  I  shall  gladly  bear  my  testimony  in  his 
as  well  as  Mr.  Whitefield's.  If  you  forbid  your  stu- 
dents to  preach  for  the  one  and  offer  them  to  preach 
for  the  other,  and  if  a  master  is  discarded  for  believ- 
ing that  Christ  died  for  all,  then  prejudice  reigns, 
charity  is  cruelly  wounded,   and   party  spirit  shouts, 


CHANGES.  1 3  I 

prevails,  TRIUMPHS!  ...  I  am  determined 
to  stand  or  fall  with  the  liberty  of  the  college.  As 
I  entered  it  a  free  place,  I  must  quit  it  the  moment 
it  is  a  harbor  for  party  spirit."  (Wesley's  Works, 
Vol.  VI,  pp.  440,  441.)  Seeing  no  yielding  on  the 
part  of  the  countess,  he  resigned  soon  after,  and 
wrote  his  immortal  ''Checks." 

Thank  God,  neither  Wesley  nor  Fletcher  would 
be  ruled  by  men  or  women,  great  or  small,  rich  or 
poor,  or  all  together!  They  had  a  work  to  do,  and 
they  possessed  the  manliness  and  godliness  to  do  it, 
at  the  loss  of  all  things,  if  necessary.  Had  they  sur- 
rendered, Methodism  had  been  the  little  creature  of 
Lady  Huntingdon,  false  in  doctrine,  limited  to  a  few 
English  acres,  inefficient  and  unimportant  in  the  his- 
tory of  religion  and  the  world;  but,  following  their 
own  settled  convictions  as  to  doctrine  and  duty,  they 
filled  the  world  with  their  God-given  sentiments,  and 
drove  Calvinism  out  of  most  pulpits,  covenants,  and 
creeds  into  the  oblivion  of  rejected  theology. 

Wesleyans  have  generally  imitated  their  example 
in  this  respect  and  prospered.  A  few  have  surren- 
dered to  "My  Lady"  or  "His  Honor"  or  some 
other  tempting  prospect  by  the  sacrifice  of  principle 
or  established  policy,  but  never  with  permanent  suc- 
cess. The  bubble  has  soon  broken  and  demonstrated 
the  folly  of  their  course.  Toadying  to  kings  even, 
however  good,  does  not  pay  in  religion.  They  must 
die,  and  it  is  not  likely  that  their  successors  will  in- 
herit their  vitiues. 


132  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

CALVINISTIC    METHODISM WESLEY    AND   HIS    WORK PROMI- 
NENT  CHARACTERS    INITIATED PROVISION   FOR  THE 

SACRAMENTS DEED   OF  DECLARATION. 

CALVINISTIC  Methodism  was  not  altogether  a 
failure.  Its  Methodism,  not  its  predestination, 
had  a  gracious  influence  on  the  Churches  of  both 
Europe  and  America,  the  effects  of  which  remain  to 
this  day.  It  at  first  attempted  no  new  organization, 
but  sought  rather  to  vitalize  existing  Churches.  Mr. 
Whitefield,  however,  commenced  his  Orphan  House 
on  his  first  visit  to  Georgia.  That  colony  had  been 
established  by  Mr.  Oglethorpe  as  an  asylum  for  un- 
fortunate debtors  and  persecuted  Protestants,  with  a 
common  seal,  bearing  the  cap  of  liberty.  Slavery 
was  excluded,  because,  as  Mr.  Oglethorpe  said,  it 
was  "against  the  Gospel,  as  well  as  the  fundamental 
law  of  England,  ...  a  horrid  crime."  Be- 
sides, it  was  claimed  that  slaves  would  "starve  the 
poor  laborer." 

But  on  Mr.  Whitefield's  second  visit,  finding  that 
the  colony  did  not  prosper,  he  proposed  to  send  his 
traveling  companion  to  England  to  persuade  the 
trustees  to  admit  of  the  introduction  of  both  slavery 
and  rum.  He  afterward  became  a  slave-holder,  and 
before   his   death    had   fifty   slaves   belonging  to   the 


PROMINENT  CHARACTERS.  1 33 

Orphan  House,  which  fell  to  the  Countess  of  Hunt- 
ingdon by  his  will,  with  his  lands,  books,  and  furni- 
ture, showing  that  he  differed  as  widely  with  Wes- 
ley on  human  rights  as  on  human  redemption. 

Had  this  style  of  Methodism  taken  denominational 
form  in  the  South,  as  Arminian  antislavery  Meth- 
odism did  some  forty-six  years  afterward,  and  been  a 
success,  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  believe  that  the 
result  on  the  fortunes  of  the  slave  would  have  been 
very  different  from  what  we  now  witness.  And  it  is 
not  the  fault  of  Lady  Huntingdon  that  it  did  not; 
for,  after  the  death  of  Whitefield,  she  bought  up  all 
claims  against  his  estate,  and  commenced  missionary 
operations  in  the  South  on  a  large  scale.  Beginning 
with  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  in  all  her  chapels, 
she  called  her  ministers  and  students  together  at 
Trevecka,  and  organized  a  missionary  corps  of  pious 
young  men,  and  started  them  off  for  Georgia,  Octo- 
ber 27,  1772.  Jubilees  were  held,  sermons  preached, 
an  embarkation  song  was  written  by  Mr.  Shirley  for 
the  occasion,  and  sung  with  burning  zeal,  amid  flow- 
ing tears.  The  whole  community  was  moved,  and 
"nothing  was  ever  seen  so  blessed"  as  the  spirit  with 
which  these  self-consecrating  martyrs  went  forth  to  re- 
deem the  perishing  South.  The  poor  rejected  Armin- 
ians  looked  on  with  amazement,  and,  we  trust,  with 
joy,  though  they  regarded  themselves  superseded  in 
the  New  World,  for  which  they  had  as  yet  laid  no  plans. 

Reaching  Georgia  in  a  few  weeks,  these  pious 
adventurers  gathered  at  the  Orphan  House,  from 
whence  they  sallied  forth  in  all  directions,  preaching 
with  grand  success,  giving  particular  attention  to  the 
slaves.      Every  thing  went   on   hopefully  for  several 


1 34  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

years.  Calls  for  their  services  came  thick  and  fast, 
new  churches  were  proposed  if  they  would  come  and 
occupy  them.  The  provincial  government  favored 
them,  and  offered  pecuniary  aid.  What  could  be 
more  charming?  And  God  seemed  to  bless  them, 
and  no  doubt  did  so.  But  after  all,  his  decrees  crossed 
their  path,  and  exploded  the  whole  scheme.  The 
Revolutionary  War  burst  upon  the  country,  and  made 
things  so  hot  around  them,  that  they  all  returned  to 
England.  The  Orphan  House  was  burned,  the 
Whitefield  property  confiscated,  and  the  whole  terri- 
tory left  to  await  the  coming  of  the  discarded  anti- 
slavery,  Arminian  Methodism.  After  the  war,  the 
countess  made  a  vigorous  effort,  through  Washing- 
ton, Franklin,  and  others, -to  recover  her  property  and 
position,  but  to  no  purpose ;  her  peculiar  Methodism 
in  God's  inscrutable  providence  had  been  found  want- 
ing, and  was  abolished. 

THE  FORTUNES    OF   THE  CAUSE    IN    EUROPE. 

The  countess  having  taken  advantage  of  the  "Act 
of  Toleration"  to  protect  her  chapels,  she  had  to 
provide  for  the  ordination  of  her  preachers  independ- 
ently of  the  bishops.  This  broke  the  connection  be- 
tween her  and  some  of  her  ablest  clerical  supporters. 
She  however  presided  like  a  bishop  over  her  clergy, 
calling  and  sending  ministers  at  pleasure.  But  time 
and  care  were  breaking  her  down,  and  in  1791  she 
closed  her  singular  but  useful  life  in  the  eighty-fourth 
year  of  her  age,  having  vainly  endeavored  to  make 
arrangements  for  the  continuance  of  the  work  she 
had  begun.  Her  advisers  failed  her  at  the  last  from 
one   cause   or   another,  and  she  left  her  work  to  the 


PROMINENT  CHARACTERS.  135 

care  of  her  executors.  It  has  since  been  largely  ab- 
sorbed by  the  Congregationalists.  The  Wales  depart- 
ment, which  was  started  prior  to  her  public  approval 
of  Methodism,  being  well  organized,  continues  to 
live  and  is  doing  much  good.  Her  chapels  and 
school  also  still  live  and  bear  her  name,  but  effect 
comparatively  little  for  the  public  good. 

MR.    WESLEY    AND    HIS    WORK. 

Mr.  Wesley  still  held  on  his  way,  traveling  more 
than  four  thousand  miles  a  year,  generally  on  horse- 
back, until  he  was  seventy  years  of  age,  when  he 
took  to  his  carriage.  He  preached  also  several  times 
a  day,  presided  at  his  conferences,  and  supervised 
every  part  of  the  work,  besides  writing  more  volu- 
minously than  most  authors  who  devoted  their  whole 
time  to  it.  When  he  was  seventy-two  years  old,  he 
wrote  in  his  "JournaV  "I  find  just  the  same 
strength  as  I  did  thirty  years  ago."  In  1784,  he 
wrote  on  his  eighty-second  birthday,  "I  find  myself 
just  as  strong  to  labor,  and  as  fit  for  any  exercise  of 
body  or  mind  as  I  was  forty  years  ago."  This  re- 
markable preservation  he  every-where  attributes  to 
God  first,  and  subordinately  to  his  manner  of  living, 
being  much  in  the  open  air,  and  never  fretting. 

The  conference  of  1 77 1 ,  to  which  we  have  re- 
ferred, reported  30,338  members  and  125  preachers. 
Francis  Asbury  and  Richard  Wright  offered  them-- 
selves  for  America,  and  were  sent.  Joseph  Benson, 
distinguished  afterward  in  the  counsels  and  liter- 
ature of  the  Church,  made  his  first  appearance  in 
the  minutes  this  year,  though  he  had  been  a 
teacher   at    Kino-S\vood,   and   afterward    at  Treveeka, 


1 3  6  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  THODISM. 

and  had  been  dismissed  by  the  countess  as  before 
stated,  because  he  could  not  indorse  Calvinism.  His 
Methodism  had  also  prevented  his  ordination  in  the 
Established  Church.  This  was  a  great  grievance  to 
him  at  first,  but  a  greater  blessing  in  the  end,  as  it 
gave  him  more  of  the  joy  of  salvation,  and  Methodism 
one  of  its  most  learned  and  useful  ministers  and 
writers  for  a  half  century,  as  may  be  inferred  from  his 
excellent  commentary,  sermons,  and  the  Methodist 
magazine,  of  which  he  was  editor  some  eighteen  years 
prior  to  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1821.  He  was 
as  vise  in  counsel  as  he  was  pious  and  learned,  and 
twice  enjoyed  the  honor  of  being  president  of  the 
Wesleyan  Conference.  It  is  really  wonderful  how 
God  supplied  the  wants  of  that  young,  but  zealous 
people,  raising  up  just  the  right  men  to  open  new 
fields,  like  Nelson,  Coke,  and  Asbury;  defenders  of 
the  faith,  like  Fletcher;  and  commentators,  like  Clarke 
and  Benson.  Men  from  all  ranks  and  conditions  of 
society,  with  special  adaptation  to  particular  and  nec- 
essary labors,  were  called  as  they  were  needed. 

Three  years  later,  Samuel  Bradburn  appeared  in 
the  conference,  a  peculiar  genius,  just  unlike  any 
other  preacher  then  or  since  known,  afterward  distin- 
guished as  the  "Demosthenes  of  Methodism."  Dr. 
Clarke  said  of  him,  "I  never  heard  his  equal;  I  can 
furnish  no  adequate  idea  of  his  powers  as  an  orator; 
we  have  not  a  man  among  us  that  will  support  any 
thing  like  a  comparison  with  him."  He  was  a  grand 
looking"  man,  withal,  full  of  natural  humor,  as  well  as 
vital  religion,  and  it  often  served  him  a  good  turn, 
especially  in  mobs.  Though  trained  a  shoemaker,  he 
was  equal  to  all  occasions,  and  for  forty  years  rendered 


PROMINENT  CHARACTERS.  1 37 

memorable  service;  and  then  departed  in  good  hope 
of  a  glorious  immortality. 

The  conference  for  1777  was  held  at  Bristol,  and 
appointed  154  preachers,  and  reported  38,274  mem- 
bers, exclusive  of  those  in  America,  from  which  no 
report  was  received  on  account  of  the  Revolutionary- 
War.  Including  about  seven  thousand  members 
there,  this  was  a  respectable  gain.  But  still  some 
imagined,  as  many  have  since,  that  Methodism  was 
waning,  having  lost  much  of  its  simplicity  and 
power.  This  led  Mr.  Wesley  to  a  thorough  canvass 
of  the  conference  to  ascertain  the  facts,  the  result  of 
which  was,  that  there  was  110  decline.  But  one  of  the 
honest  but  desponding  preachers,  John  Hilton,  could 
not  acquiesce  in  this  finding,  and  not  wishing  to  go 
down  with  a  sinking  cause,  left  and  hid  himself 
among  the  Quakers. 

METHODISM    IN    PRISONS. 

One  of  the  striking  features  of  these  times,  and, 
indeed,  of  all  the  early  periods  of  Methodism,  is  the 
attention  it  gave  to  prisoners.  And  this  is  hardly 
strange  when  we  consider  their  number  and  the  hor- 
rible treatment  they  received  from  the  English 
authorities.  Men  were  imprisoned  for  almost  every 
little  real  or  imaginary  offense,  —  even  for  debt,  how- 
ever innocent,  or  unable  to  pay,  and  hung  for  the 
theft  of  a  sixpence.  How  such  cruelty  was  tolerated 
in  the  presence  of  God's  Word  and  a  pretentious 
Christian  Church  is  unaccountable.  The  Oxford 
students,  coming  into  sympathy  with  Jesus,  were  at 
once  moved  with  pity  for  them,  and  ran  to  their 
relief.       And     it    was     characteristic    of    Methodists 


138 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


every-where  to  care  for  the  wicked  and  poor  of  every 
community.  In  visiting  a  place,  instead  of  courting 
the  wealthy  and  respectable,  they  ran  at  once  to  the 
sick  and  miserable — to  the  prisoners,  soldiers,  and 
outcasts,  and  God  raised  up  from  these  classes  some 
of  their  most  effective  laborers.  Mr.  Wesley  took 
special  pains  to  preach  to  the  soldiers,  many  of 
whom  were  converted  and  called  to  the  ministry. 
At  the  conference  of  1778,  he  urged  the  preach- 
ers to  visit  the  prisoners.  He  had  faith  in  the 
Gospel  to  raise  the  fallen  and  save  the  lost;  even 
to  convert  the  prejudiced  Romanists,  and  many 
of  them  believed  and  were  born  again.  If  we 
will  carry  on  the  work  which  he  so  nobly  began,  we 
must  imitate  his  faith  and  practice  in  this  respect, 
and  not  go  beating  about  to  find  easy  and  respect- 
able cases. 

ANOTHER    NECESSARY    PROVISION. 

About  this  time  a  talented  young  man,  the  only 
son  of  wealthy  parents,  entered  the  ministry  of  the 
Established  Church,  at  South  Petherton,  and  attracted 
much  attention,  though  destitute  of  the  one  thing 
needful.  Falling  in  with  Mr.  Maxfield,  he  received 
some  new  light,  which  was  greatly  increased  soon 
after  by  conversation  with  a  poor  Methodist  peasant, 
who  explained  to  him  justification  by  faith,  regener- 
ation, the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  etc.;  when  he  threw 
aside  his  notes  and  began  to  preach  in  good  earnest, 
and  while  preaching  received  the  witness  in  himself, 
and  was  "filled  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory."  This  so  inspired  him  that  he  was  denounced 
as  a  Methodist,  rejected  by  his   rector,  reproved   by 


PROMINENT  CHARACTERS.  1 39 

his  bishop,  threatened  by  a  mob,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  and  chimed  out  of  the  Church;  whereupon 
he  preached  in  the  streets,  and  having  read  Fletcher's 
incomparable  "Checks,"  joined  the  Methodists,  and 
became  the  celebrated  Dr.  Coke,  the  first  Methodist 
bishop  of  America,  and  the  founder  of  Wesleyan 
missions,  upon  which  the  sun  has  never  set  for  many 
years.  Thus  God  keeps  up  the  succession  of  right 
men  for  the  carrying  on  of  his  work.  Though  Mr. 
Wesley  never  worried,  he  had  often  wondered  who 
would  succeed  him  at  his  death.  Mr.  Fletcher  had 
declined  the  honor.  All  his  other  arrangements  thus 
far  had  been  unsatisfactory,  but  here  was  the  man  to 
suggest  a  practicable  plan  of  adjustment,  "The  Deed 
of  Declaration,"  and  to  act  a  leading  part  in  securing 
for  it  the  general  approval  of  both  preachers  and 
people.      Mr.  Wesley  regarded  him  as  his  right-hand. 

ANOTHER    IMPORTANT    MAN    CALLED. 

While  Wesley  was  preaching  in  Dublin  on  one 
of  his  early  visits  to  that  city,  a  youth  went  to  hear 
him,  and  was  interested.  Subsequently,  that  same 
young  man  heard  his  brother  in  London.  Afterward, 
on  hearing  one  Smyth  in  Ireland,  who  had  been  dis- 
missed from  his  curacy  on  the  charge  of  Methodistic 
tendencies,  the  love  of  God  was  shed  abroad  in  his 
heart,  when  he  began  to  visit  the  prisoners  and  other 
sufferers  for  their  good.  After  many  struggles  and 
labors  he  graduated  to  the  Methodist  ministry,  and 
was  received  into  the  conference  in  1779  on  proba- 
tion. This  was  Henry  Moore,  who,  in  the  course 
of  a  few  years,  was  stationed  in  London,  and  became 
Mr.    Wesley's   confidential   adviser  on  all   important 


140 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


matters,  and  his  traveling  companion.  He  was  also 
ordained  by  him,  and  made  one  of  the  trustees  of 
his  manuscripts  and  books.  Mr.  Wesley  prized 
him  very  highly,  and  was,  no  doubt,  much  aided  by 
his  wise  and  pious  counsels  in  his  old  age,  in  the 
absence  of  Dr.  Coke,  who  was  flying  from  continent 
to  continent,  planting  the  Gospel  in  new  fields. 
This  prepared  him  to  understand  Mr.  Wesley's 
plans,  and  to  assist  in  managing  affairs  after  his 
death  as  few  men  could,  and  also  to  become  his 
most  reliable  biographer. 

MR.     WESLEY    ORDAINING    MINISTERS. 

From  the  last-named  conference  the  work  went 
on,  attended  with  its  usual  labors,  difficulties,  and 
successes,  till  1784,  when  circumstances  seemed  to 
require  decisive  action.  Independency  and  ordina- 
tion had  been  long  urged  by  many,  and  opposed  by 
others.  Mr.  Wesley,  in  his  lingering  attachment  to 
the  established  Church,  though  he  regarded  the  apos- 
tolic succession  as  a  "fable,"  had  hesitated  to  exer- 
cise the  right  of  ordaining  ministers  for  the  societies 
which  he  had  been  the  means  of  organizing.  He 
feared  that  in  thus  openly  taking  issue  with  the 
Church  he  would  lose  more  for  his  cause  than  he 
would  gain.  But  the  time  had  come  when  he  must 
take  the  responsibility  of  providing  the  sacraments 
for  his  followers,  especially  in  America,  or  they 
would  provide  for  themselves.  The  bishops  of  the 
English  Church  would  do  nothing  to  relieve  the  case. 
They  were  generally  without  God  themselves,  and 
hated  Methodism  little  less  than  the  mobs  they  in- 
cited to  destroy  it.      So,  after  due  consultation  with 


PROMINENT  CHARACTERS.  141 

Mr.  Fletcher  and  other  pious  churchmen,  he  ordained 
Dr.  Coke  superintendent  of  the  Methodist  societies 
in  America,  September  2,  1784,  and  Richard  What- 
coat  and  Thomas  Vasey  presbyters,  to  accompany 
and  co-operate  with  him.  His  brother  Charles  was, 
of  course,  opposed  to  the  whole  proceeding,  and  re- 
monstrated, saying,  "Alas!  what  trouble  are  you 
preparing  for  yourself,  as  well  as  for  me  and  for 
your  oldest,  truest,  best  friends !  Before  you  have 
quite  broken  down  the  bridge,  stop,  and  consider ! 
If  your  sons  have  no  regard  for  you,  have  some  for 
yourself.  Go  to  your  grave  in  peace ;  at  least,  suffer 
me  to  go  first  before  this  ruin  is  under  your  hand." 
His  grief  was  intense,  and,  it  seems  to  us,  equally 
ridiculous ;  and  perhaps  it  was  well  that  he  did  de- 
part in  peace  soon  after.  The  ice  being  thus  broken, 
and  nobody  harmed,  Mr.  Wesley  ordained  several 
others  of  his  lay  preachers  for  Scotland,  the  West 
Indies,  America,  and  the  home  service,  limiting  the 
latter  to  the  administration  of  the  sacraments  in  cases 
of  necessity;  and  Ave  have  yet  to  learn  that  their 
priestly  services  were  not  just  as  efficient  and  accept- 
able to  God  and  the  people  as  those  of  any  bishop 
or  pope.  If  great  and  good  men  can  be  so  enslaved 
to  a  mere  fiction  of  Romanism,  how  can  we  blame  the 
ignorant  masses  who  rely  on  other  fables  for  their 
salvation  from  the  same  source  ? 

ANOTHER    EMERGENCY    PROVIDED    FOR. 

These  proceedings  removed  one  great  source  of 
disturbance  and  danger  to  the  societies.  Another 
occasion  of  solicitude  was  found  in  the  advanced  age 
of  Mr.  Wesley,   who  could  not  be  expected  to  con- 


142  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

tinue  much  longer  at  the  head  of  his  multiplying 
followers.  Who  was  to  take  his  place  without  his 
influence?  (and  no  man  could  have  that)  was  a  question 
which  occupied,  not  his  attention  only,  but  that  of 
the  preachers,  who  already  trembled  for  the  unity  of 
the  body  when  Mr.  Wesley  should  be  called  to  his 
reward. 

From  references  already  made  to  Mr.  Fletcher, 
the  reader  would  naturally  infer  that  he  occupied  a 
high  place  in  the  affections  of  the  whole  connection. 
This  was  so ;  in  proof  of  which,  Mr.  W7esley  was  fre- 
quently solicited  to  secure  him  for  his  successor. 
Accordingly,  in  January,  1773,  he  wrote  him  a  very 
emphatic  letter,  urging  him  by  high  considerations  to 
enter  into  the  itinerant  work,  and  be  prepared  to 
succeed  him  in  office.  Mr.  Fletcher  replied  with  his 
usual  modesty,  declining  the  overture,  but  promising 
such  assistance  as  he  might  be  able  to  afford  in  cer- 
tain contingencies.  This  was  construed  into  encour- 
agement by  some  of  the  preachers,  and  Mr.  Fletcher 
was  addressed  a  second  time ;  but  to  no  purpose.  He 
was  a  great  man,  an  excellent  scholar,  and  an  eminent 
Christian ;  but  he  was  not  probably  ' '  born  to  com- 
mand." He  could  not  fancy  the  position  offered 
him.  "I  am,"  said  he  facetiously  to  a  friend,  "like 
one  of  your  casks  of  wine:  I  am  good  for  nothing 
till  I  settle" 

Methodism  had  found  its  way  to  America  some 
time  before.  It  now  appeared  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  in 
Holland,  and  other  places,  and  Mr.  Wesley  presided 
over  the  whole,  traveling  from  country  to  country  in 
his  regular  course  with  the  same  apparent  ease  and 
energy  he  had  displayed  in  former  years.      But  the 


PROMINENT  CHARACTERS.  1 43 

question  must  be  settled,  "What  is  going  to  be  done 
when  Mr.  Wesley  dies?"  Most  of  the  trust  deeds 
secured  the  right  of  appointing  the  preachers  to  the 
several  chapels  to  him,  some  made  no  provision  for 
their  appointment  after  his  demise,  while  many  vested 
the  right  to  appoint  in  the  conference.  But  who 
were  the  conference  ?  As  before  stated,  it  was  com- 
posed of  such  preachers  as  Mr.  Wesley  called  to- 
gether to  counsel  with  him,  and  none  others.  Here 
was  a  difficulty  which  many  feared,  and  some  hoped, 
would  prove  fatal  to  the  union  of  the  societies. 

To  avoid  so  great  a  calamity  Mr.  Wesley  took 
legal  advice,  and  prepared  a  "Deed  of  Declaration," 
constituting  one  hundred  preachers,  whom  he  named 
therein,  the  conference  of  the  people  called  Method- 
ists, making  provision  for  the  filling  of  vacancies 
occasioned  by  death,  superannuation,  or  excision; 
and  defining  their  duties  and  powers  so  as  to  secure 
the  occupancy  of  the  meeting-houses,  and  other 
society  property,  to  the  Methodists,  according  to  the 
original  design,  and  preserve  the  itinerancy  forever 
unimpaired  among  them.  This  deed  beiiftr  recorded 
in  His  Majesty's  High  Court  of  Chancery,  in  the  year 
1784,  the  question  of  authority  and  government  was 
settled.  The  deed  created  some  little  uneasiness 
among  certain  preachers  not  named  in  it,  particularly 
such  as  had  left  the  work  like  Dr.  Whitehead,  and 
were  hoping  to  obtain  a  settlement,  as  did  Mr.  Wes- 
ley's book-steward,  in  a  Congregational  Methodist 
Church.  But  in  general  it  gave  great  satisfaction. 
Mr.  Wesley's  motives  for  this  measure  we  find  stated 
by  himself  in  these  words: 

"Without  some  authentic  deed,  fixing  the  meaning 


1 44  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM: 

of  the  term,  the  moment  I  died  the  conference 
had  been  nothing.  Therefore,  any  of  the  proprietors 
of  the  land  on  which  our  preaching-houses  were  built 
might  have  seized  them  for  their  own  use,  and  there 
would  have  been  none  to  hinder  them,  for  the 
conference  would  have  been  nobody — a  mere  empty 
name. 

"You  see,  then,  in  all  the  pains  I  have  taken  about 
this  necessary  deed,  I  have  been  laboring,  not  for 
myself  (I  have  no  interest  therein),  but  for  the  whole 
body  of  Methodists,  in  order  to  fix  them  upon  such 
a  foundation  as  is  likely  to  stand  as  long  as  the  sun 
and  moon  endure.  That  is,  if  they  continue  to  walk 
by  faith,  and  show  forth  their  faith  by  their  works; 
otherwise,  I  pray  God  to  root  out  the  memorial  of 
them  from  the  earth." 

THE    WISDOM    OF    THE    MEASURE    DEMONSTRATED. 

The  remarks  of  Mr.  Moore  on  the  importance 
of  this  "Deed"  are   full   of  sound  sense.      He  says: 

"That  men  (not  a  few  of  whom  had  departed 
from  th^^bciety,  and  some  had  been  expelled  from 
it),  should,  merely,  by  virtue  of  their  legal  authority 
over  the  premises,  appoint  preachers  to  feed  and 
guide  the  flock,  exhibited  a  distressing  prospect. 
Even  where  the  trustees  continued  members  of  the 
society,  and  attached  to  its  interests,  what  could  be 
expected,  in  a  matter  of  such  vital  concern,  from 
men  so  much  engaged  in  worldly  business?  This 
has  often  been  proved  in  religious  communities.  It 
was  the  chief  cause  of  the  decline  of  religion  among 
the  latter  Puritans:  their  lay  elders  assumed  after 
some    time,    the   whole   authority.      From    this   pro- 


PROMINENT  CHARACTERS.  1 45 

ceeded  that  worldly  spirit  and  political  zeal  which  so 
greatly  dishonored  that  work  in  its  last  days;  and 
which  had  previously  overthrown  both  Church  and 
State. 

"The  evil  showed  itself  in  prominent  overt  acts, 
previous  to  this  period.  Mr.  Wesley,  having  striven 
to  prevail  on  some  trustees  in  Yorkshire  to  settle 
their  chapels,  so  that  the  people  might  continue  to 
hear  the  same  truths,  and  be  under  the  same  disci- 
pline as  heretofore,  was  assailed  with  calumny,  and 
with  the  most  determined  opposition,  as  though  he 
intended  to  make  the  chapels  his  own !  Another  set 
of  trustees,  in  the  same  county,  absolutely  refused  to 
settle  a  lately  erected  chapel;  and,  in  the  issue,  en- 
gaged Mr.  Wesley's  book-steward  in  London,  who 
had  been  an  itinerant  preacher,  to  come  to  them  as 
their  minister.  This  man,  however,  was  '  wise  in  his 
generation,'  and  insisted  upon  having  an  income  of 
sixty  pounds  per  annum,  with  the  chapel  house  to 
live  in,  settled  upon  him  during  his  life,  before  he 
would  relinquish  his  place  under  Mr.  Wesley.  What 
will  not  party  spirit  do?  I  was  a  witness,  when, 
ajter  Mr.  Wesley's  death,  it  was  found  that  the 
preachers  continued  united  and  faithful  in  their  call- 
ing, how  deeply  those  men  repented  of  their  con- 
duct in  this  instance.  In  vain  they  represented  to 
the  man  of  their  unhappy  choice  how  lamentably  their 
congregations  had  declined,  and  how  hardly  they 
could  sustain  the  expenses  they  had  incurred.  The 
answer  was  short :  They  might  employ  otlier  preachers 
if  they  should  think  it  proper;  btit  the  dwelling-house 
and  the  stated  income  belonged  to  him." 

13 


1 46  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

OBJECTIONS    TO  THE    DEED    EXPLAINED. 

"We  need  not  wonder  that  Dr.  Whitehead  should 
speak  with  such  deep  concern,  and  indulge  such  a 
spirit  of  calumny,  concerning  this  important  measure 
of  settling  the  chapels.  The  doctor,  and  many  others 
who  had  departed  from  the  work,  had,  through  that 
wise  measure,  but  little  prospect  of  succeeding,  like 
his  friend  the  book-steward,  to  occupy  chapels  built 
for  the  people  by  Mr.  Wesley's  influence  and  the 
labor  of  the  preachers.  The  favor  of  those  trustees 
who  might  be  disposed  to  forget  their  sacred  obliga- 
tions, and  incur  such  an  awful  responsibility,  held 
out  but  little  hope  to  such  men,  now  that  a  legal 
definition  was  given  to  the  phrase — The  Confer- 
ence; and,  in  fact,  every  appeal  made  to  equity  has 
fully  succeeded,  on  this  very  ground. 

"In  that  day  of  uncertainty  and  surmise,  there 
were  not  wanting  some,  even  among  the  itinerant 
preachers,  who  entertained  fears  respecting  a  settle- 
ment of  this  kind.  One  of  those  preachers,  and  of 
considerable  eminence,  attacked  the  Deed  of  Settle- 
ment, and  declared  that  Mr.  Wesley  might  as  justly 
place  all  the  dwelling-houses,  barns,  workshops,  etc., 
in  which  we  had  preached  for  so  many  years,  under 
the  authority  of  the  conference,  as  he  had  done  the 
chapels;  and  that  he  thus  assumed  an  authority  the 
Lord  had  not  given  him.  This  seemed  far  too  strong 
to  be  generally  received,  and  it  was  quickly  answered. 
A  preacher,  in  reply,  observed,  'that,  certainly,  there 
was  as  much  justice  in  the  one  case  as  the  other,  pro- 
vided those  dwelling-houses,  barns,  work-shops,  etc., 
had  been  built  in  consequence  of  the  preaching,  and 


PROMINENT  CHARACTERS.  147 

by  the  subscriptions  of  the  connection;  and  in  order 
that  those  erections  might  continue  to  be  used  for 
the  purposes  for  which  they  were  thus  built!'  This 
closed  the  debate  for  that  time." 

mr.  Wesley's  letter  to  the  conference. 

To  give  this  instrument  a  happier  operation  and 
more  general  acceptability,  Mr.  Wesley  left  the  fol- 
lowing letter  to  be  read  at  the  first  session  of  the 
conference  after  his  decease: 

"To  the  Methodist  Conference. 

"Chester,  April 7,  1785. 

"  My  Dear  Brethren, — Some  of  our  traveling  preachers 
have  expressed  a  fear  that,  after  my  decease,  you  would  exclude 
them  either  from  preaching  in  connection  with  you,  or  from 
some  other  privilege  which  they  now  enjoy.  I  know  no  other 
way  to  prevent  any  such  inconvenience  than  to  leave  these, 
my  last  words,  with  you. 

"I  beseech  you,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  you  never 
avail  yourselves  of  the  'Deed  of  Declaration'  to  assume  any 
superiority  over  your  brethren;  but  let  all  things  go  on  among 
those  itinerants  who  choose  to  remain  together  exactly  in  the 
same  manner  as  when  I  was  with  you,  so  far  as  circumstances 
will  permit. 

"In  particular,  I  beseech  you,  if  you  ever  loved  me,  and  if 
you  now  love  God  and  your  brethren,  to  have  no  respect  of 
persons  in  stationing  the  preachers,  in  choosing  children  for 
the  Kingswood  school,  in  disposing  of  the  yearly  contribution 
and  the  preachers'  fund,  or  any  other  public  money ;  but  do  all 
things  with  a  single  eye,  as  I  have  done  from  the  beginning.  Go 
on  thus,  doing  all  things  without  predjudice  or  partiality,  and 
God  will  be  with  you  to  the  end.  John  Wesley." 

CONFERENCE    ACTION    ON   THE    SUBJECT. 

This  letter  was  read  to  the  conference,  according 
to  the  writer's  design,  and  responded  to  by  resolu- 
tions pledging  that  body  to  entire  acquiescence  in  its 


1 48  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  THODISM. 

suggestions.  But  the  effect  was  not  all  that  was 
desired.  Though  it  allayed  the  fears  of  individuals, 
it  did  not  endear  the  government  provided  for  in  the 
"Deed  "  to  all  parties.  Some  had  little  fondness  for 
the  national  Church,  and  wished  to  have  all  connec- 
tion sundered,  that  they  might  enter  the  lists  against 
it.  The  heads  of  others  were  quite  turned  in  favor 
of  ecclesiastical  democracy.  They  could  away  with  no 
system  that  did  not  eschew  all  distinctions,  while  a 
considerable  number  of  excellent  men  preferred 
something  a  little  different  from  the  existing  plan. 
The  matter  was  talked  over  privately,  and  a  private 
convention  or  two  was  called,  in  which  systems  were 
suggested  and  discussed,  and  in  which,  too,  strong 
preferences  were  expressed  for  our  own.  But  the 
secret  was  soon  out,  and  raised  an  excitement  which 
alarmed  the  friends  of  the  cause  exceedingly.  But 
the  next  conference,  by  the  timely  aid  of  their 
"Deed,"  firmly  resisted  all  attempts  to  effect  a 
change  in  the  constitution,  in  the  face  of  great  and 
good  men  whose  names  are  still  cherished  with 
veneration. 

THE    DEED   A    GRAND    SUCCESS. 

Thus,  that  instrument  has  ever  proved  itself  the 
sheet-anchor  of  Mr.  Wesley's  incomparable  plan  of 
itinerancy,  and  of  the  true  interests  of  Methodism  in 
every  emergency.  If  the  preachers  have  at  any  time 
inclined  to  diverge  from  it,  it  has  restrained  them, 
and  it  has  compelled  them  to  discountenance  and 
suppress  all  tendencies  to  revolution  ;  so  that  the  de- 
signs of  Mr.  Wesley  and  his  coadjutors  have  been 
steadily    carried   out.      And,   so    far   as   we   can  now 


PROMINENT  CHARACTERS.  1 49 

see,  they  must  continue  to  be  to  the  end  of  time, 
unless  the  conference  shall  apostatize  from  God,  and 
become  indisposed  to  work  the  system;  or  the  legis- 
lative or  judiciary  department  of  the  country  shall 
prove  recreant  to  duty,  and  attempt  to  mend  what  it 
ought  only  to  protect.  But  we  think  there  is  no  im- 
mediate occasion  for  alarm.  The  experiments  which 
have  been  made  in  vain  at  all  these  points,  form 
ground  of  confidence  in  the  integrity  both  of  the 
conference  and  the  judiciary. 

Hence,  instead  of  the  societies  being  scattered  at 
the  death  of  Mr.  Wesley,  as  was  anticipated,  they 
struck  their  roots  still  deeper,  and  extended  their 
branches  wider.  Says  Mr.  Jackson:  " Extensive  re- 
vivals broke  out  in  several  places ;  new  societies  were 
formed,  and  older  ones  were  quickened  and  aug- 
mented ;  and  many  chapels,  of  various  sizes,  were 
erected  and  enlarged.  Within  ten  years  after  Mr. 
Wesley's  death  the  societies  were  increased  in  Great 
Britain  alone  more  than  forty  thousand  members,  and 
in  twenty  years  they  were  increased  upward  of  one 
hundred  thousand." 


150  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

MR.    wesley's    labors — other    departures    from    the 
church — wesley's    last    conference — his    death — 

STATISTICS    of    his    work OTHER    results     of     his 

labors. 

HAVING  provided  the  sacraments  for  Method- 
ists of  all  lands,  and  for  their  self-government 
after  his  departure,  it  would  not  have  been  unreason- 
able if  Mr.  Wesley  had  taken  life  a  little  easier,  and 
ling-ered  about  his  beloved  home.  But  these  wise 
arrangements  seem  not  to  have  relieved  him  in  the 
least ;  he  moved  right  on  in  his  wonted  course, 
preaching,  writing,  and  itinerating  as  before,  and  all 
the  more  as  he  saw  the  time  of  his  departure  ap- 
proaching. On  entering  upon  his  eighty-fifth  year 
he  makes  his  first  acknowledgment  of  decline,  con- 
fessing to  some  failure  of  sight,  activity,  memory, 
etc.  A  year  later  he  was  still  more  infirm  ;  but  in 
1790  he  wrote:  "I  am  now  an  old  man,  decayed 
from  head  to  foot."  But  still  he  worked  on  during 
all  this  time,  traversing  England,  Ireland,  Scotland, 
and  Wales,  preaching  to  immense  throngs  in  chapels 
and  churches  and  in  the  open  air,  until  he  could  not 
see  to  read  the  hymns,  or  even  stand  up  without 
support.  And  his  preaching  was  as  powerful  as  it 
had  ever  been,  producing  all  the  mighty  results  of 
other  days. 


LAB  ORS  A  ND  RES  UL  TS.  1 5  I 

OF    HIS    LATER    CONFERE^TCES. 

The  conference  of  1781  was  remarkable  for  origi- 
nating what  is  generally  called  "The  Cabinet." 
Presiding  elders  were  then  unknown.  The  Cabinet 
was  composed  of  Mr.  Fletcher,  Coke,  and  four 
others,  who  were  invited  by  Mr.  Wesley  to  meet 
him  every  evening  for  consultation. 

This  conference  also  determined  to  receive  no 
married  preachers  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of 
supporting  families,  if  enough  others  offered.  Be- 
sides, the  preachers  were  prohibited  to  publish  any 
thing  without  Mr.  Wesley's  consent;  and  all  the 
profits  of  their  publications  were  to  go  into  the  com- 
mon stock. 

The  next  conference  brought  up  an  old  issue,  the 
like  of  which  has  appeared  several  times  since.  The 
trustees  at  Bristol  insisted  on  choosing  their  own 
preachers.  Wesley  would  not  consent,  because  it 
would  ruin  the  itinerancy;  and  the  conference  sus- 
tained him,  and  resolved  to  take  a  collection  in  all 
the  societies  to  erect  a  new  chapel.  But  the  trustees 
surrendered,  as  they  generally  do  in  such  cases,  if 
not  sustained  by  the  preachers. 

A  more  important  event  of  this  conference  was 
its  reception  of  Adam  Clarke,  whose  fame  is  in  all 
the  world,  as  a  scholar  and  commentator.  Being 
sent  to  Norwich  Circuit,  he  preached  four  hundred 
and  fifty  sermons  in  about  eleven  months,  traveling 
a  circuit  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  miles  extent, 
largely  on  foot,  with  his  saddle-bags  on  his  back, 
there  being  but  one  horse  for  four  preachers.  His 
youth  and  talents  commanded  general  attention;  and 


152  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

many  bowed  before  the  Lord.  The  next  year  he 
received  on  trial  a  shoemaker's  apprentice,  by  the 
name  of  Samuel  Drew,  who  afterward  distinguished 
himself  as  a  metaphysical  writer  and  a  defender  of 
Methodism.  Young  Clarke  soon  advanced  to  the 
front  rank  of  Wesleyan^  preachers,  and  astonished 
the  world  by  his  wisdom  and  labors.  Though  his 
sermons  were  often  very  elaborate  and  popular,  he 
always  preached  extempore.  He  simply  filled  him- 
self with  his  subject,  and  then  talked  from  that  full- 
ness to  his  admiring  hearers,  which  is  a  common- 
sense  way  of  producing  conviction. 

The  conferences  of  those  times  were  practically 
very  much  like  annual  conferences  of  the  present  day. 
That  of  1784  received  eight  preachers  on  trial, 
twenty-five  into  full  connection,  and  dismissed  five 
by  location  and  two  by  death,  stationing  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-seven  among  49,219  members.  The 
total  membership,  including  14,988  in  America,  was 
64,207.  This  conference  was  a  critical  one,  having 
to  set  in  judgment  on  Mr.  Wesley's  "Deed  of  Dec- 
laration." Human  nature  was  then  about  the 
same  it  is  now,  and  was  not  always  sanctified  by 
grace  even  among  preachers,  who  were  bold  to  face 
mobs,  and  die  for  Christ  and  his  cause.  The  Deed 
named  one  hundred  men  who  were  to  constitute  the 
legal  conference  at  Mr.  Wesley's  death,  and  exercise 
jurisdiction  over  the  connection,  under  certain  restric- 
tions. But  there  were  several  good  men  who  were 
mortified  that  they  were  not  among  the  number,  and, 
therefore,  combined  to  resist  the  measure.  The 
debate  that  ensued  was  very  sharp,  and  involved 
personalities    that    seemed    quite    threatening,     and 


LAB  ORS  AND  RESUL  TS.  153 

probably  would  have  resulted  in  something  more 
serious  had  it  not  been  for  the  sainted  Fletcher,  who 
was  present  and  poured  oil  on  the  troubled  waters. 
Standing  as  he  did  on  the  brink  of  the  grave,  and 
filled  with  the  Spirit  as  few  men  have  ever  been,  he 
threw  his  whole  soul  into  the  contest,  pleading  for 
peace.  "  Never,"  says  one  who  was  present,  "never, 
while  memory  holds  her  seat,  shall  I  forget  with 
what  ardor  and  earnestness  Mr.  Fletcher  expostu- 
lated, even  on  his  knees,  both  with  Wesley  and  the 
preachers.  To  the  former,  he  said :  '  My  father  !  my 
father !  they  have  offended,  but  they  are  your  chil- 
dren. '  To  the  latter  he  exclaimed  :  '  My  brethren  ! 
my  brethren  !  he  is  your  father !'  and  then  portraying 
the  work  in  which  they  were  unitedly  engaged,  fell 
again  on  his  knees,  and,  with  meek  fervor  and  devo- 
tion, engaged  in  prayer.  The  conference  was  bathed 
in  tears."  The  Deed  was  confirmed.  Several  of  the 
objectors  yielded,  though  they  never  forgot  the 
offense  complained  of;  but  three  or  four  seceded  and 
joined  other  bodies,  without  improving  their  religious 
feelings  or  social  fortunes.  It  takes  more  grace  to 
bear  a  slight,  real  or  imaginary,  than  to  face  a  mob. 
Of  course,  these  men  went  off  complaining  of  Mr. 
Wesley  and  the  "Deed,"  which  led  the  next  confer- 
ence to  issue  a  paper,  assuming  the  responsibility  of 
the  transaction. 

ANOTHER    STEP    FROM    THE    CHURCH. 

The  conference  of  1786  brought  up  the  old  ques- 
tion of  the  relation  of  Methodists  to  the  Church, 
which  was  settled  as  before,  except  that  permission 
was  granted   to   hold   service   in  the   chapels   during 


154  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Church  hours  where  the  clergy  were  notoriously 
wicked  or  dangerously  heretical,  and  where  Method- 
ists were  not  well  accommodated  with  Church  serv- 
ice, thus  paving  the  way  to  that  independency  which 
was  certain  to  come  not  long  hence.  Another  good 
thing  done  at  this  conference  was  «to  receive  Will- 
iam Bramwell  on  trial,  whose  remarkable  history  is 
familiar.  He  was  not  distinguished  for  learning,  like 
some  of  his  predecessors,  so  much  as  by  his  power 
in  prayer  and  in  bringing  sinners  to  Christ.  When 
he  was  converted  he  says  "heaven  came  down  to 
earth.  It  came  to  my  soul.  .  .  .  My  soul  was 
then  all  wonder,  love,  and  praise."  And  he  retained 
it,  and  led  multitudes  to  the  same  blessed  experience. 
The  work  of  God  so  increased,  Mr.  Wesley  ven- 
tured another  step  away  from  the  assumptions  of  the 
Church,  and  ordained  three  presbyters  for  England, 
as  he  had  ordained  others  for  Scotland  and  America, 
and  then  ordained  one  of  them,  Alexander  Mather, 
superintendent  or  bishop.  Hardly  a  year  passed 
when  the  wickedness  of  the  Church  authorities  and 
the  growth  of  his  societies  did  not  imperatively  de- 
mand  some   new  departure  from  the   establishment. 

wesley's  last  conferenxe  labors. 

The  last  conference  he  attended  was  held  at 
Bristol,  July  27,  1790,  where  he  organized  his  first 
"band"  and  erected  his  first  chapel  some  fifty  years 
before.  Now,  he  was  the  acknowledged  and  be- 
loved father  bishop  of  some  540  traveling  preachers, 
1,200  local  preachers,  and  134,599  members,  scat- 
tered among  the  nations,  but  fully  organized,  and 
forming  the  nucleus  of  the  largest  Protestant  Church 


LABORS  AND   RESULTS.  155 

in  the  world.  His  parting  with  the  Conference  was 
deeply  affecting.  Says  one  of  his  preachers:  "I 
parted  with  Mr.  Wesley  until  the  resurrection  of  the 
just.  He  appeared  very  feeble.  His  eye-sight  had 
failed  so  much  that  he  could  not  see  to  give  out  the 
hymns;  yet  his  voice  was  strong,  his  spirit  remarka- 
bly lively,  and  the  powers  of  his  mind  and  his  love 
toward  his  fellow-creatures  were  as  bright  and  as 
ardent  as  ever." 

His  signature  to  the  minutes  of  the  conference, 
facsimiles  of  which  may  be  seen  on  our  third  page, 
shows  that  his  writing  days  were  past.  In  making 
his  last  entry  in  his  cash  account,  a  little  after,  he 
adds  in  an  almost  illegible  hand  and  in  a  manifest 
numerical  error:  "For  upward  of  eighty-six  years  I 
have  kept  my  accounts  exactly.  I  will  not  attempt 
it  any  longer,  being  satisfied  with  the  continual  con- 
viction that  I  save  all  I  can  and  give  all  I  can — that 
is,  all  I  have." 

But  still  he  went  on  with  his  work,  using  up  the 
few  days  and  the  little  strength  that  remained  to 
him  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  his  peo- 
ple. We  find  him  again,  a  month  later,  at  Bristol, 
holding  a  "watch-meeting"  till  midnight;  then  in 
London,  Cornwall,  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and  back  to 
Bristol,  preaching  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  elsewhere,  preaching  in  the  streets,  burning 
with  fever,  closing  his  full  ministry  at  Leatherhead, 
February  23,  1791,  with  the  text,  "Seek  ye  the 
Lord  while  he  may  be  found;  call  ye  upon  him 
while  he  is  near,"  showing  that  his  early  passion 
to  save  sinners  was  "strong  in  death."  "On  that 
day,"  says  Dr.    Stevens,    "fell  from  his  dying  grasp 


156  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

a  trumpet  of  the  truth  which  had  sounded  the  ever- 
lasting Gospel  oftener  and  more  effectually  than  that 
of  any  other  man  for  sixteen  hundred  years.  The 
Reformers  of  Germany,  Switzerland,  France,  and 
England  wrought  their  great  work  more  by  the 
pen  than  by  the  voice.  It  has  been  admitted  that 
Whitefield  preached  more  eloquently,  with  few  ex- 
ceptions to  larger  assemblies,  and  traveled  more 
extensively  (though  not  more  miles)  than  Wesley, 
within  the  same  limits  of  time ;  but  Wesley  survived 
him  more  than  twenty  years,  and  his  power  has 
been  more  productive  and  permanent.  Whitefield 
preached  eighteen  thousand  sermons — more  than  ten 
a  week  for  his  thirty-four  years  of  ministerial  life. 
Wesley  preached  forty-two  thousand  four  hundred 
after  his  return  from  Georgia — more  than  fifteen  a 
week." 

HIS    DESCENT   TO    THE    GRAVE. 

From  this  point  he  descended  to  the  grave  as 
such  a  man  should,  resting  on  the  sure  foundation 
indicated  by  the  lines, 

"I  the  chief  of  sinners  am, 
But  Jesus  died  for  me," 

repeating  them  often  when  near  his  end.  He  was 
also  filled  with  praise,  and  tried  to  sing, 

"I'll  praise  my  Maker,"  etc., 

when  he  was  too  far  gone  to  articulate.  "The  best 
of  all  is,  God  is  with  us,"  was  one  of  his  dying 
utterances.  March  2,  1791,  in  the  morning,  he  ex- 
claimed to  the  group  of  loving  friends  around  his 
bed,  "Farewell!"  and  passed  away  without  a  struggle 


LABORS  AND   RESULTS. 


157 


to  his  everlasting  reward,  in  the  eighty-eighth  year  of 
his  age,  and  the  sixty-fourth  of  his  ministry. 

APPRECIATED    AT    LAST. 

The  latter  part  of  Mr.  Wesley's  career  differed 
very  widely,  in  one  respect,  from  the  former.  His 
early  travels  were  constantly  interrupted  by  mobs 
and  other  persecutions,  which  not  only  embarrassed 
his  work,  but  often  endangered  his  life;  but  God 
permitted  him  to  live  to  command  the  respect  and 
veneration  of  his  greatest  enemies.  His  old  age  wras 
honored  with  all  the  attention  that  was  safe  for  any 
man  to  receive.  "The  churches  in  London  were 
generally  closed  against  him  in  1738;  but  now 
he  had  more  applications  to  preach  in  those  very 
churches,  for  the  benefit  of  public  charities,  than  he 
could  possibly  comply  with.  His  visits  to  many 
places  in  the  country  created  a  sort  of  general  festi- 
val. The  people  crowded  around  him  as  he  passed 
along  the  streets;  the  windows  were  filled  with  eager 
gazers;  the  children  waited  'to  catch  the  good  man's 
smile,'  which  the  overflowing  benignity  of  his  heart 
rendered  him  ever  willing  to  bestow.  When  he  first 
went  into  Cornwall,  accompanied  by  John  Nelson, 
he  plucked  blackberries  from  the  hedges  to  allay 
the  cravings  of  hunger,  and  slept  upon  boards,  hav- 
ing his  saddle-bags  for  a  pillow,  till  the  bones  cut 
through  his  skin.  Now  he  was  received,  in  that 
county  especially,  as  an  angel  of  God.  On  the  17th 
of  August,  1789,  on  visiting  Falmouth,  he  says: 
'The  last  time  I  was  here,  above  forty  years  ago,  I 
was  taken  prisoner  by  an  immense  mob,  gaping  and 
roaring  like  lions ;  but  how  is  the  tide  turned !     High 


158  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

and  low  now  lined  the  street  from  one  end  of  the 
town  to  the  other,  out  of  stark  love,  gaping  and 
staring  as  if  the  king  were  going  by.'"  (Wesley's 
Works,  Vol.  IV,  p.  728.) 

Thus,  integrity  to  God  is  sometimes  honored  even 
in  this  world.  Whatever  injustice,  prejudice,  and 
calumny  may  heap  upon  our  names  for  a  time,  if 
we  take  it  patiently,  and  plod  on  in  the  way  of  well- 
doing, redemption  will  come,  and  Haman  shall  be 
compelled  by  his  own  convictions  to  honor  the  same 
Mordecai  he  would  have  hanged. 

NUMERICAL    PROGRESS    OF   THE    SOCIETIES. 

The  first  attempt  to  take  a  census  of  the  societies 
was  made,  as  before  stated,  in  1766;  but  for  several 
reasons  it  was  very  imperfectly  done.  Subsequent 
reports  were  more  complete.  Believing  that  they 
may  be  profitable  to  the  reader  in  several  respects, 
we  present  the  following  tabular  statement.  It  must 
be  remembered,  however,  that  it  gives  but  a  very 
imperfect  view  of  the  good  effected.  Much  of  the 
time  Mr.  Wesley  would  not  allow  his  preachers  to 
form  societies  at  all,  but  required  them  to  urge  their 
converts  into  the  Established  Church,  or  some  other. 
In  many  cases  these  converts  doubtless  retained  their 
formal  connection  with  the  Established  Church  with- 
out entering  into  Mr.  Wesley's  societies  at  all. 
Though  Methodists  in  principle  they  did  not  become 
so  by  name ;  and  yet  they  owed  their  spiritual  life 
to  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Wesley  and  his  followers. 
The  reckoning  of  names  in  the  table  which  we 
give  here  is  only  of  those  enrolled  on  the  class- 
books.      Still  the  showing  suggests  important  lessons 


LABORS  AND  RESULTS. 


159 


concerning  the  work,  which  may  be  turned  to  prac- 
tical account. 


TABULAR    EXHIBIT. 


1767 
1768 
1769 
1770 
1771 
1772 
1773 
1774 
1775 
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Thus  we  see  the  progress  of  the  cause  was  not 
rapid,  but  steady  and  solid.  Both  preachers  and  mem- 
bers were  received  with  great  care,  and  dismissed 
with  little  ceremony  when  found  incurably  wanting  in 
character  or  usefulness. 


OTHER    BENEFITS    OF    THE    WESLEYAN    MOVEMENT. 

Though  these  figures  indicate  remarkable  success, 
we  are  to  look  elsewhere  for  the  grandest  results  of 
the  YVesleyan  movement.  It  revolutionized  the  the- 
ology, ecclesiasticism,  humanity,  benevolence,  and 
religious  worship  of  the  nations.  Its  early  sympathy 
for   prisoners,  soldiers,    sailors,    slaves,  and   the  poor, 

*  These  collections  were  for  different  objects,  such  as  education,  chapel 
debts,  etc. 

f  A  decrease — report  from  America  not  included  as  before,  on  account  of 
the  war. 

%  The  Chapel  Fund  collection  omitted  this  year  to  assist  in  building  the 
City  Road  Chapel. 


l60  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

laid  the  foundation  of  all  the  improvements  that  have 
occurred  in  the  condition  of  these  classes  since  the 
dark  days  of  its  first  startling  utterances.  The  ''hor- 
rible" decree  of  reprobation  is  not  calculated  to  ex- 
cite sympathy  for  the  oppressed.  People  are  not  apt 
to  be  better  than  their  God.  Methodism,  pre- 
senting the  God  of  love,  "manifest  in  the  flesh"  of 
his  son  Jesus  Christ,  who  lived  a  suffering  life  for 
fallen  man,  and  died  on  the  cross  for  his  redemption, 
introduced  the  true  model  of  Christianity  and  hu- 
manity which  has  since  influenced  the  morals,  relig- 
ion, legislation,  and  social  life  of  the  millions,  —  abol- 
ished slavery  in  its  worst  forms,  and  elevated  the 
unfortunate  to  a  better  condition  than  they  ever  en- 
joyed since  the  world  began.  The  humanity  of  to- 
day, of  which  we  may  be  proud  when  we  contemplate 
it  in  contrast  with  the  tyranny  and  cruelty  of  a  cent- 
ury and  a  half  ago,  is  but  the  outgrowth  of  senti- 
ments and  practices  set  on  foot  by  the  Holy  Club  at 
Oxford,  and  afterward  developed  by  their  labors  and 
sufferings,  in  connection  with  their  friends,  the  im- 
mortal Howard,  Wilberforce,  and  others,  who  caught 
their  benevolent  spirit.  Many  living  Methodist 
preachers  can  remember  when  the  dark  pall  of  "elec- 
tion and  reprobation"  hung  over  this  country,  par- 
alyzing all  motives  to  Christian  enterprise.  They  were 
met  every-where  by  the  defenders  of  the  "decrees" 
and  ordered  off  as  heretics,  and  intruders.  But 
having  Wesley's  "Doctrinal  Tracts,"  and  Fletcher's 
"Checks,"  in  their  saddle-bags,  and  the  Scriptures  in 
their  memory  and  hearts,  they  entered  the  arena  and 
put  their  learned  traducers  to  flight.  Where  are 
these  doctrines  now?     Who  preaches  them?     Seeing 


LABORS  AND  RESULTS.  l6l 

that  the  people  would  not  hear  them,  they  were  parti- 
ally concealed  by  various  forms  of  "New  Divinity." 
Being  driven  from  these  intrenchments,  they  were 
left  to  slumber  in  abandoned  creeds,  and  musty 
volumes,  which  are  seldom  read;  and  salvation 
by  faith,  free  and  full,  is  now  generally  offered  to 
all  sinners  as  the  lawful  purchase  of  the  atonement, 
and  that  by  the  very  Churches  which  once  insisted  on 
"election  and  reprobation"  as  the  cardinal  "doc- 
trines of  grace." 

Methodism  has  also  shed  new  light  upon  the  doc- 
trine of  salvation  by  faith,  dimly  apprehended  by 
Luther  but  left  so  complicated  with  ceremonial  condi- 
tions as  not  to  be  practicable  to  most  minds.  Wes- 
ley was  never  more  anxious  or  sincere  than  when  he 
went  to  Georgia  to  convert  the  Indians;  but  he  was 
still  in  spiritual  darkness.  He  had  prayed  and  fasted 
enough  to  be  converted  a  thousand  times;  but  he 
had  done  it  in  obedience  to  the  prevailing  sentiments 
of  the  English  Church  inherited  from  the  Papacy. 
Romanism  puts  its  victims  upon  a  course  of  self- 
mortification,  terminating  with  pardon  from  the  priest. 
The  English  Church  did  the  same,  all  except  the 
pardon,  and  that  it  modestly  left  to  God,  without  any 
settled  theory  as  to  whether  it  would  be  pronounced 
in  this  life,  and  if  so,  what  evidence  of  it,  if  any, 
would  be  given.  Wesley  thus  sought  salvation  by 
works,  and  with  great  uncertainty  as  to  the  result. 
He  sought  it  long  and  earnestly,  as  did  his  brother, 
and  his  friend,  Mr.  Whitefield.  Calvinism  was  more 
explicit  on  two  points.  It  claimed  that  the  elect 
could  not  be  saved  from  all  sin,  or  even  know  that 
they  were  pardoned  till   death,    so  that    the    highest 

14 


1 62  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

possible  state  of  grace  was  little  more  than  a  per- 
petual anxiety. 

But  when  Wesley  condescended  to  consult  the 
poor  unecclesiastical  Moravians,  they  taught  him  the 
way  of  the  Lord  more  perfectly,  whereupon  he 
sought  salvation  by  faith,  and  obtained  pardon,  and 
the  witness  of  the  Spirit  that  he  was  born  of  God. 
Thus  he  came  to  know  the  meaning  of  the  word  sal- 
vation, the  method  of  obtaining  it,  and  the  proper 
evidence  of  its  accomplishment,  and  that  it  is  for 
him  that  believeth  in  Jesus,  irrespective  of  Church 
or  priest.  With  this  discovery  he  went  forth  and  ac- 
complished the  great  work,  an  outline  of  which  we 
have  attempted  to  give. 

In  prosecuting  this  enterprise  many  new  expe- 
dients were  forced  upon  him,  which  he  reluctantly, 
but  wisely  entertained,  and  experimented  into  suc- 
cess. Others  were  divinely  suggested  to  his  mind 
which  appeared  more  appropriate,  and  were  adopted 
for  himself  and  the  Christian  public  of  all  nations. 
Among  these  are  lay  preaching  and  lay  prayer-meet- 
ings, two  marvelous  innovations  upon  "Church 
Order;"  annual  and  quarterly  conferences,  love- 
feasts,  class-meetings,  watch-meetings,  extempora- 
neous praying  and  preaching,  tract  distribution,  even- 
ing meetings,  devotional  congregational  singing,  free 
Sunday  and  week-day  schools,  with  many  others, 
most  of  which  have  become  quite  common  through- 
out Protestant  Christendom.  When  the  Methodists 
first  went  to  rigid  New  England,  there  was  no  pro- 
vision in  the  Churches  for  evening  meetings.  Lay 
prayer-meetings  for  the  masses  were  unknown.  The 
first    public    speakings    of    Methodist    women    were 


LABORS  AND  RESULTS.  1 63 

thought  to  be  an  outrage  on  St.  Paul,  and  common 
decency,  and  their  devotional  songs  were  pronounced 
a  disorder.  But  now,  all  these  things  are  generally 
approved  and  practiced. 

PRACTICAL   SUGGESTIONS. 

We  speak  of  these  particulars  not  to  glorify  Mr. 
Wesley  or  Methodism.  God  called  him  to  the  work 
he  did  as  certainly  as  he  called  Moses,  or  Nehemiah, 
or  Paul,  to  their  respective  undertakings,  and,  no 
doubt,  led  him  in  the  way  he  should  go,  for  the 
good  of  the  world.  His  works  praise  him,  but  God 
more,  to  whom  be  all  the  glory  now  and  forever.  If 
he  was  a  ' '  Pope  ' '  as  has  been  charged,  he  was  one 
for  God,  and  exercised  authority  over  those  whom 
God  gave  him,  and  who  pleased  to  follow  him.  No 
successor  has  ever  possessed  the  authority  he  had, 
for  no  one  has  occupied  the  same  providential  rela- 
tion to  the  work.  He  was  the  father  of  it,  and  sac- 
rificed himself  and  all  he  had,  or  could  honestly  ob- 
tain, for  its  welfare.  And  this  personal  sacrifice  was 
the  real  secret  of  his  power  over  his  preachers.  Had 
he  insisted  on  a  salary  of  five  hundred  pounds  a  year,  a 
very  moderate  sum  for  a  bishop,  then  or  now,  or  even 
accepted  it,  his  authority  would  have  been  discarded. 
But  he  accepted  nothing  but  labors  and  sacrifices 
more  abundant.  He  did  not,  could  not  drive  his 
helpers;  he  led  them,  was  foremost  in  the  loss  of  all 
things.  This  was  also  the  secret  of  Asbury's  au- 
thority. He  never  imposed  heavier  burdens  on  his 
preachers  than  he  bore  himself.  His  heroic  addresses 
to  the  young  ministers  were  always  backed  by  more 
heroic    deeds.      And    this    is    the   legitimate    way  to 


1 64  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

command  authority  in  a  free  country,  and  especially 
in  the  work  of  God. 

The  thing  that  should  engross  us,  who  have  been 
especially  profited  by  the  labors  of  such  leaders  as 
John  Wesley  and  Francis  Asbury,  is  to  follow  them 
as  they  followed  Christ,  and  not  go  back  to  the  beg- 
garly elements  of  ceremonial  or  official  religion,  from 
which  they  delivered  us.  Their  aim  was  to  save  sin- 
ners. For  this  they  lived,  labored,  and  sacrificed 
every  personal  power  and  interest.  Should  their 
tens  of  thousands  of  ministerial  followers  do  as  much, 
Methodism  would  not  be  long  in  taking  the  world 
for  Christ. 

One  further  remark,  and  we  pass  on  to  other 
scenes.  The  Methodist  system  of  government  and 
Christian  labor  has  commanded  the  admiration  of 
our  wisest  men;  and  yet  it  has  been,  and  will  be, 
severely  criticised.  But  whether  good  or  bad,  nearly 
every  feature  of  it  has  come  down  to  us  from  Mr. 
Wesley,  and  has  been  proved  by  the  infallible  test  of 
experiment.  It  was  constructed  for  the  direction  and 
government  of  live,  consecrated  men.  Others  can 
not  like  it.  The  moment  it  shall  be  modified  to 
please  worldly  men,  whether  of  the  pulpit  or  the  pew, 
its  efficiency  is  gone.  Times  and  customs  may  change, 
but  this  system,  operated  in  the  spirit  which  gave  it 
birth,  will  never  be  found  wanting  in  success.  It  may 
be  modified,  and  will  be,  but  so  long  as  that  modifi- 
cation shall  impose  more  self-denial  and  labor  on  the 
leaders,  as  well  as  others,  the  cause  will   not  suffer. 


CONTR 0  VERSIES  SETTLED.  1 65 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  SITUATION  STATED — ISSUES  INVOLVED — DEMANDS 

MADE PLAN   OF   PACIFICATION PROGRESS 

OF  THE   CAUSE. 

MR.  WESLEY  having  finished  his  work,  all  eyes 
were  now  turned  toward  his  governmental  suc- 
cessors, the  " legal  hundred."  His  system  had  worked 
well  under  his  own  wise  and  fatherly  administration; 
but  whether  it  would  succeed  as  well,  or  at  all,  under 
the  new  arrangements,  was  a  question  about  which 
there  were  various  opinions.  A  few  of  the  preachers, 
not  named  in  the  "Deed  of  Declaration,"  were  quite 
willing  that  it  should  prove  a  failure,  that  they  might 
obtain  a  permanent  settlement  in  some  one  of  the  so- 
cieties. The  majority,  however,  were  intensely  anx- 
ious that  it  should  succeed  and  accomplish  all  that 
its  lamented  projector  and  his  advisers  had  hoped. 
The  first  session  of  the  legal  hundred  was,  therefore, 
anticipated  with  profound  solicitude.  "Pray,  pray, 
pray!"  rung  out  through  the  connection  from  the  pen 
of  Joseph  Bradford;  and  Mr.  Entwisle  expressedx  a 
common  feeling  when  he  wrote,  "  My  soul  trembles 
for  the  ark  of  the  Lord." 

The  danger  was  greatly  argumented  by  the  agi- 
tated state  of  public  opinion,  growing  out  of  the 
French  Revolution,  then  pouring  forth  its  torrents  of 


1 66  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

infidelity  and  unrestricted  liberalism.  Some  of  the 
preachers  had  become  infected  with  the  lowest  kind 
of  Republicanism,  and  were  disposed,  like  Alexan- 
der Kilham,  who  soon  after  led  the  first  succession, 
to  throw  off  the  Wesleyan  yoke.  Pamphlets,  circu- 
lars, and  appeals,  representing  different  views  and 
projects,  were  sent  forth  in  every  direction.  Church- 
men and  dissenters  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  dis- 
cussion, hoping  to  break  up  the  connection,  and 
divide  the  spoils  between  them,  a  policy  which  is  not 
entirely  unknown  in  this  country. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  Wesley,  Rev.  William 
Thompson  called  a  meeting  of  preachers  for  con- 
sultation, to  make  arrangements  for  the  coming 
conference.  This  led  to  conflicting  meetings  and 
discussions  which  did  not  improve  the  prospect  of 
peace. 

Dr.  Coke,  sharing  the  common  solicitude,  has- 
tened home  from  America,  to  be  suspected  and 
accused  of  improper  motives  in  making  his  appear- 
ance just  at  that  time. 

THE    ISSUES    INVOLVED. 

The  tenacity  with  which  Mr.  Wesley  adhered  to 
the  established  Church  has  already  been  mentioned. 
He  required  nothing  as  a  condition  of  membership 
in  his  societies,  nor,  indeed,  allowed  any  conduct 
among  his  adherents  which  was  inconsistent  with 
their  relations  to  the  Church  or  conformity  to  its 
lawful  requisitions.  He  held  no  service  in  the  chap- 
els during  the  time  of  regular  service  in  the  church, 
except  under  peculiar  circumstances,  but  attended 
that  service  himself,  and  enjoined  upon  his  followers 


CONTROVERSIES  SETTLED.  1 67 

to  do  the  same;  nor  would  he  allow  the  preachers 
to  administer  the  sacraments,  but  required  his  fol- 
lowers to  receive  the  communion  in  the  Episcopal 
Church.  His  preaching-places  must  not  be  called 
churches,  but  chapels;  his  helpers,  not  clergymen, 
but  lay  preachers ;  and  the  assemblies  of  his  people, 
mere  societies. 

But  he  did  not  maintain  this  course  without  diffi- 
culty, nor  without  strong  apprehensions  that  some- 
thing like  a  separation  would  ultimately  take  place. 
The  repulsion  of  Methodists  and  Methodist  preachers 
from  the  sacrament,  and  the  infliction  of  cruel  per- 
secution from  a  domineering  priesthood,  created  a 
general  distrust  of  the  piety  of  its  incumbents,  and 
a  consequent  disinclination  to  attend  upon  their 
ministry.  Of  course,  there  was  a  loud  call  for  the 
sacraments  in  the  chapels,  which  could  not  be  fully 
answered  without  seeming  to  dissent  from  the  estab- 
lishment. Mr.  Wesley's  personal  influence  went  far 
to  moderate  this  demand,  but  was  hardly  sufficient 
to  allay  it.  At  all  events,  he  found  it  necessary  to 
administer  the  sacrament  himself  in  some  of  the 
chapels,  and  to  secure  similar  service  from  several 
others  of  the  regular  clergy  who  were  interested  in 
his  enterprise,  and  finally  to  ordain  certain  of  his 
preachers  for  the  purpose. 

This  was  the  state  of  things  at  his  death,  when 
all  eyes  turned  to  the  conference  for  some  accommo- 
dation. To  prevent  the  administration  of  the  sacra- 
ments to  the  people  by  their  own  preachers  was 
impossible.  The  conference  had  no  power  to  do  it 
had  it  been  disposed.  "The  question,"  says  Mr. 
Watson,     "stood    on    the    plain,    practical    ground, 


1 68  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

'Shall  the  societies  be  obliged,  from  their  conscien- 
tious scruples,  to  neglect  an  ordinance  of  God;  or 
shall  we  drive  them  to  the  Dissenters,  whose  pecul- 
iar doctrines  they  do  not  believe;  or  shall  we,  under 
certain  regulations,  accede  to  their  wishes?'  " 

THE    FIRST    CONFERENCE. 

This  conference,  the  forty-eighth  from  the  begin- 
ning, met  at  Manchester,  July  26,  1791,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  business  with  the  coolness  and  caution 
the  situation  seemed  to  demand.  Rev.  William 
Thompson,  a  wise,  devout,  and  dignified  Irishman, 
was  elected  president,  and  Dr.  Coke  secretary. 
There  were  about  three  hundred  preachers  present, 
all  anxious,  and  generally  solemn  and  prayerful. 

The  first  business,  of  course,  was  to  read  Mr. 
Wesley's  letter,  left  as  "his  last  words"  to  the  legal 
"hundred,"  which  we  have  already  recorded — a  most 
wise  and  apostolic  document,  that  it  will  be  well  for 
all  bishops  and  conferences  to  keep  in  mind.  This 
done,  the  conference  agreed  to  grant  the  preachers 
in  full  connection  equal  privileges  with  themselves, 
so  far  as  the  Deed  of  Declaration  would  allow; 
to  follow  the  plan  left  by  Wesley;  restricted  the 
appointment  of  preachers  to  the  same  circuit  to  two 
years,  except  in  special  cases  of  "revival;"  appointed 
Dr.  Coke  to  preside  at  the  Irish  Conference,  as  he 
had  done  before;  provided  for  various  committees  to 
co-operate  with  themselves  in  the  management  and 
prosecution  of  the  work;  pledged  Mr.  Wilberforce 
their  co-operation  in  his  efforts  to  abolish  the  slave- 
trade;  arranged  the  appointments  and  adjourned. 

Thus    the    trying    ordeal    seemed    to    have    been 


CONTROVERSIES  SETTLED..  169 

passed  in  safety;  but  the  conference  did  not  clearly 
touch  the  questions  in  dispute.  Its  pledge  "to  fol- 
low Mr.  Wesley's  plan"  was  susceptible  of  differ- 
ent constructions,  which  all  parties  explained  to 
suit  their  respective  opinions  and  purposes.  Some 
thought  it  meant  that  they  would  adhere  to  the 
Church;  others,  that  it  favored  dissent.  Hanby, 
Taylor,  and  Cownley,  whom  Wesley  had  authorized 
to  administer  the  sacraments,  went  on  doing  so, 
much  to  the  annoyance  of  the  opposing  party,  some 
of  whom  left  the  connection.  Kilham  rushed  into 
the  controversy,  insisting  on  the  largest  liberty,  pro- 
nouncing his  Churchish  opponents  "bigots,"  their 
course  "trimming  between  God  and  the  world,"  and 
their  arguments  "political,"  "carnal,  and  sold  under 
sin."  Party  feeling  ran  very  high,  and  portended 
serious  results. 

OTHER    ACTION    ON    THE    SUBJECT. 

The  second  conference  met  in  London,  July  31, 
1792,  and  elected  Alexander  Mather,  whom  Wesley 
had  ordained  superintendent,  to  preside,  and  Dr. 
Coke  secretary.  Mr.  Kilham  was  soon  arraigned 
and  censured  for  the  severity  of  his  writings,  and 
barely  escaped  expulsion  by  making  some  little  ac- 
knowledgment, though  ably  defended  by  Bradburn, 
the  "Demosthenes  of  Methodism." 

Some  minor  matters  being  disposed  of,  the  ques- 
tion of  the  day — the  sacraments — was  introduced. 
Petitions  from  the  people,  calling  for  deliverance 
from  bondage  to  the  established  Church,  were  pre- 
sented in  large  numbers,  and  not  a  few,  equally 
emphatic,    remonstrating   against   any   change.     The 

T5 


I70  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

conference  was  unwilling,  at  first,  to  do  any  thing 
on  the  subject.  They  had  always  been  taught  to 
regard  themselves  as  a  society  in  the  Church,  and  not 
a  Church  of  themselves.  With  this  understanding 
many  of  their  most  wealthy  and  pious  members  had 
joined,  and  were  at  that  moment  holding  important 
offices  of  trust.  They  still  loved  the  Church  as  their 
mother,  and  looked  only  to  her  for  the  valid  admin- 
istration of  the  ordinances.  The  conference  was 
aware  how  the  change  demanded  would  affect  such 
people,  and  felt  compelled  to  move  cautiously;  but 
their  prudent  tardiness  and  delay  did  not  quiet  the 
public  mind.  Discussion  waxed  warmer  and  warmer. 
The  leading  men  in  the  conference  were  on  opposite 
sides,  and  the  prospect  for  peace  was  dubious.  A 
majority,  however,  agreed  that  the  preachers  might 
administer  the  ordinances  where  a  majority  in  the 
society  was  in  favor  of  their  doing  so.  This  gave 
the  High-church  party  great  offense,  and  created  no 
little  disturbance.  They  then  retracted,  and  allowed 
the  sacraments  only  where  there  was  no  objection; 
but  this  increased  the  difficulty,  as  it  gave  the  power 
to  a  single  Churchman  to  bind  all  the  rest  of  the 
society.  The  contention  became  intolerable.  High- 
church  trustees  shut  several  of  the  chapels  against 
Low-church  preachers;  congregations  were  divided; 
many  seceded  from  the  society,  and  things  looked 
threatening  indeed.  What  could  be  done?  The 
conference  was  as  much  divided  as  the  people.  Mr. 
Benson  was  High-church;  Mr.  Moore,  Mr.  Wesley's 
biographer,  was  Low-church;  and  both  had  been  in 
the  same  circuit,  serving  different  parties  to  the  con- 
troversy. 


CONTROVERSIES  SETTLED.  171 

Thus  the  storm  raged  from  year  to  year,  but 
still  the  work  of  God  prospered.  The  conference 
of  1795  opened  under  critical  circumstances.  Ex- 
citement had  reached  the  culminating  point.  Argu- 
ment was  exhausted.  All  seemed  to  feel  that  the 
decisions  of  this  session  would  decide  the  fate  of 
the  Wesleyan  body ;  and  yet  it  was  obvious  that  no 
action,  however  wise,  would  please  all,  and  prevent 
a  separation  of  some  from  the  Connection.  The 
alternation  of  hope  and  fear  could  be  distinguished  in 
every  countenance.  Many  a  pious  heart  trembled 
for  the  ark  of  God.  Trustees  and  stewards  from  all 
parts  of  the  kingdom  were  assembled  in  the  lobby, 
to  speak  for  themselves  and  their  constituents,  and 
by  all  lawful  means  to  persuade  the  conference  to 
favor  the  preferences  of  their  respective  parties. 
Some  would  secede  if  the  conference  should  do  thus 
and  thus ;  and  others  would  secede  if  it  should  not. 
The  conference  heard  all ;  and,  fully  impressed  with 
the  delicacy  of  their  position,  entered  upon  their 
work  like  men  of  God,  determined  to  take  no  advan- 
tage that  did  not  belong  to  them,  and  come  to  some 
decision  that  would  end  the  controversy  forever,  if 
possible. 

HOW  THE  MATTER  WAS  FINALLY  SETTLED. 

It  was  first  agreed  to  refer  the  whole  matter  to  a 
"committee  of  nine"  to  be  chosen  by  ballot.  This 
was  the  fairest  way  to  choose  them,  and  yet  it  was 
to  be  feared  that  in  this  way  they  would  all  be  on 
one  side,  as  it  was  evident  the  conference  was  not 
equally  balanced.  But  no ;  there  was  too  much 
magnanimity   in  the   body  for  this.      All   seemed  to 


1 7  2  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

feel  that  both  sides  ought  to  be  represented,  and  that 
minorities  are  to  be  respected.  The  ballotings  re- 
sulted in  the  appointment  of  a  mixed  committee, 
consisting  of  Rev.  Joseph  Bradford,  John  Pawson, 
Alexander  Mather,  Thomas  Coke,  William  Thompson, 
Samuel  Bradburn,  Joseph  Benson,  Henry  Moore, 
and  Adam  Clarke.  After  sitting  six  evenings,  three 
and  a  half  hours  each  evening,  in  close  deliberation, 
the  committee  presented  a  "Plan  of  Pacification;" 
so  accommodating  all  parties,  and  requiring  conces- 
sions from  all,  that  it  was  difficult  to  tell  which  party 
in  the  committee  had  prevailed.  The  truth  was  (be 
it  said  to  the  praise  of  God,  and  to  the  credit  of 
their  hearts  as  well  as  their  heads),  both  prevailed. 
Their  paramount  interest  was  to  save  the  cause ;  and 
the  matter  in  dispute  being  prudential  arrangement, 
they  acquiesced  in  a  compromise  that  required  con- 
cessions both  ways,  and  still  gave  both  sides  their 
own  way  to  an  important  extent.  The  conference 
adopted  the  report  with  great  unanimity,  by  slightly 
altering  one  article,  after  which  it  very  harmoniously 
appended  two  or  three  more,  and  sent  it  forth  among 
the  societies.  Few  could  say  it  was  just  what  they 
wanted ;  but  nearly  all  the  real  Methodists,  embrac- 
ing the  trustees,  stewards,  and  private  members, 
acquiesced  in  it  as  a  plan  of  peculiar  wisdom,  dropped 
their  controversies,  and  united  anew  in  the  work 
of  God. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  state  all  the  provisions  of 
this  plan.  It  is  enough  to  say  that  baptism  and  the 
Lord's -supper,  together  with  service  in  the  chapels 
during  the  time  of  Church  service,  were  provided  for 
on  the  condition  that  a  majority  of  the  stewards  and 


CONTROVERSIES  SETTLED.  1 73 

leaders  should  approve  of  having  them  administered. 
But  it  did  not  bind  the  conscience  of  any  one.  If  a 
majority  should  favor  the  sacraments,  etc.,  according 
to  the  "plan"  it  did  not  bind  the  minority  to  attend 
upon  them.  Members  could  go  to  Church  as  before, 
and  those  who  preferred  it  might  receive  baptism 
and  the  sacrament  at  chapel.  Was  not  this  kind? 
Was  it  not  just?  And  was  it  not  Wesleyan  too? 
We  have  not  a  doubt  of  it.  Mr.  Wesley  loved  the 
Church,  but  he  loved  the  souls  of  men  better.  He 
would  not  separate  from  her  any  further  than  he 
found  it  necessary  to  the  work  of  God.  The  Church 
was  not  his  God.  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Walker,  he 
says:  "Nor  have  we  taken  one  step  further  than  we 
were  convinced  was  our  bounden  duty.  It  is  from 
a  full  conviction  of  this  that  we  have,  1 .  Preached 
abroad;  2.  Prayed  extempore  ;  3.  Formed  societies  ; 
and,  4.  Permitted  preachers  who  were  not  episco- 
pally  ordained.  And  were  we  pushed  on  this  side, 
were  there  no  alternative  allowed,  we  should  judge 
it  our  bounden  duty  rather  wholly  to  separate  from  the 
Church,  than  to  give  up  any  one  of  these  points. 
Therefore,  if  we  can  not  stop  a  separation  without 
stopping  lay  preachers,  the  case  is  clear — we  can  not 
stop  it  at  all." 

THE  SACRAMENTS  CONCEDED  WITHOUT  ORDINATION. 

But  the  desire  of  the  conference  to  avoid  all  ap- 
pearance of  separation  from  the  Church  led  them  to 
permit  their  preachers  to  administer  the  sacraments 
without  the  imposition  of  hands.  This  was  not  satis- 
factory to  some,  though  they  knew  that  the  imposi- 
tion  of  hands   was  a  mere   ceremony,   which   added 


174  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

nothing  to  the  validity  of  the  ministry.  But  custom 
had  invested  it  with  so  much  importance;  they  were 
sure  many  people  would  never  regard  them  as  reg- 
ular ministers  of  the  Gospel  unless  they  had  been 
ordained  in  the  usual  way.  Therefore,  they  wished 
the  conference  to  avail  itself  of  a  venerable  custom, 
which,  while  it  would  add  nothing  to  their  authority, 
nor  subtract  any  thing  from  the  authority  of  the 
Church,  would  give  them  an  influence  over  some 
minds  that  could  not  be  otherwise  obtained. 

These  practical  denials  of  Churchly  assumptions 
did  not,  however,  extinguish  all  leanings  toward  the 
establishment.  The  British  Conference  has  never 
lacked  good  men  of  tender  regard  for  the  National 
Church.  But  the  ridiculous  conduct  of  some  of  the 
clergy  has  done  enough  to  justify  complete  aliena- 
tion, and,  if  we  mistake  not,  the  current  of  public 
sentiment  is  flowing  in  that  direction. 

Nor  did  the  arrangement  satisfy  Mr.  Kilham,  and 
some  others  of  his  way  of  thinking.  He  was  a  pos- 
itive character,  born  at  Epworth,  early  converted, 
and  sent  out  to  the  Channel  Islands  by  Mr.  Wesley 
as  the  servant  of  Brackenbury,  some  twelve  years 
before,  where  he  did  much  good.  He  was  pio-us, 
active,  and  useful,  but  an  indomitable  democrat, 
and  could  not  be  pleased  with  the  establishment. 
After  a  little  time,  therefore,  he  issued  another 
pamphlet,  entitled:  "Progress  of  Liberty  among  the 
People  called  Methodists,"  which  was  very  severe. 
At  the  next  conference  he  was  arraigned  again,  and 
failing  to  substantiate  his  charges,  or  to  make  any 
proper  retraction,  he  was  expelled,  and  soon  after 
started  the  Methodist  Nezv  Connection.      Some  of  the 


CONTROVERSIES  SETTLED.  1 75 

leading  preachers  had  sympathized  with  his  views; 
but  his  conduct  alienated  them,  and  thus,  probably, 
contributed  to  the  general  harmony  of  the  body. 
But  Mr.  Kilham  was  not  to  be  suppressed  so  easily. 
This  treatment  only  fired  him  with  new  zeal,  and  he- 
went  forth  proclaiming  his  grievances  in  such  chapels 
as  were  open  to  him,  creating  great  disturbance  in 
many  of  the  societies.  He  also  started  a  periodical 
at  Leeds,  called  The  Monitor,  through  which  he  de- 
nounced the  leading  men  of  the  conference  in  un- 
measured terms.  The  prospects  for  harmony  were 
terribly  alarming.  The  young  preachers  were  repre- 
sented as  generally  in  sympathy  with  the  new  move- 
ment. But  at  the  meeting  of  the  conference  in 
1797,  the  cloud  lifted.  Ninety-seven  of  the  suspected 
young  men  got  up  and  signed  a  paper  indorsing  the 
abused  leaders,  and  avowing  their  allegiance  to  the 
conference,  while  the  fathers  presented  a  revised 
copy  of  Mr.  Wesley's  "  Large  Minutes,"  incorpo- 
rating the  new  arrangements,  which,  after  free  and 
full  consideration,  were  signed  by  all  the  members 
of  the  conference  except  two,  who  left  to  follow  Mr. 
Kilham.  These  proceedings  gave  to  the  societies  a 
better  organization  than  they  had  ever  enjoyed,  and 
met  with  general  satisfaction.  But  they  did  not 
extinguish  Mr.  Kilham.  He  pushed  on  in  his  own 
peculiar  style,  and  drew  away,  perhaps,  some  five 
thousand  members.  The  success  of  his  New  Connec- 
tion has  not  been  great.  We  learn  from  their  con- 
ference reports  for  1874,  that  they  number  240  trav- 
eling preachers,  1,270  local  preachers,  and  33,563 
members.  They  have  also  596  Sunday-schools, 
11,566  teachers,  and  80,483  scholars. 


176 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


THE  IRISH    CONFERENCE    ORGANIZED. 

From  the  year  1752  to  the  year  previous  to  his 
death,  Mr.  Wesley  held  an  annual  conference  with 
the  preachers  in  Ireland ;  and  provided  in  his  poll- 
deed  for  such  gatherings  as  often  as  the  British  Con- 
ference should  judge  expedient.  The  Irish  Confer- 
ence has  since  been  held  annually  under  the  presidency 
of  some  one  appointed  for  the  purpose.  It  embraces 
at  present  (1874)  152  itinerant  preachers,  760  local 
preachers,  and  20, 740  members,  no  more  than  it  has 
had  for  many  years,  nor  half  as  many  as  it  has  sent 
forth  into  all  lands  ticketed  to  other  branches  of  the 
Wesleyan  family. 

THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CAUSE. 

How  successfully  Methodism  passed  its  first  trans- 
ition period  from  the  death  of  Wesley  to  its  firm 
establishment  on  the  new  basis  of  the  legal  conference 
in  1797,  may  be  inferred  from  the  following  summary 
of  its  reports,  which  show  an  annual  average  increase 
of  4,470  members : 


1  -K, 

I  Year. 

Trav.  Prea. 

Members. 

Inc. 

Year. 

Trav.  Prea. 

Members. 

Inc. 

1791 
[1792 

i  1793 

!  1794 

326 

350 
362 

389 

78,993 
81,748 
83,088 

9i>747 

2,025 

2,755 
2,340 
8,649 

1795 
1796 

1797 

391 

390 

399 

97,902 
104,879 
Io8,26l 

6,155 

6,977 
3,382 

Though  there  were  seven  years  of  much  differ- 
ence of  opinion  among  both  preachers  and  people, 
the  grace  of  God  seemed  to  abound,  and  the  work 
of  conversion  did  not  cease.  And  what  was  of  no 
little  importance  to  the  future  of  the  societies,  an 
asylum   was   established   in  the   "New  Connection," 


CONTROVERSIES  SETTLED.  I J  J 

to  which  all  coming  dissentients  might  go  in  peace 
without -disturbing  the  whole  body.  As  it  is  impos- 
sible for  men  to  see  and  feel  exactly  alike,  even  in 
religious  matters,  such  a  provision  is  necessary  in  all 
large  communities. 

With  the  smoke  and  dust  of  battle  cleared  away, 
and  an  improved  and  a  generally  accepted  economy 
adopted,  imposing  large  responsibility  on  the  laity, 
the  conference  entered  upon  its  work  with  new  cour- 
age. A  running  sketch  of  its  operations  will  be 
sufficient  to  show  that  it  did  not  labor  in  vain. 

The  legal  hundred  was  composed  of  "preachers 
and  expounders  of  God's  Holy  Word  under  the  care 
and  direction  of  the  conference,"  thus  excluding 
laymen  from  membership.  The  conference,  how- 
ever, felt  the  necessity  of  lay  co-operation,  as  Mr. 
Wesley  had  done,  and  proceeded  to  organize  various 
committees  for  different  purposes.  In  1803,  it  pro- 
vided for  a  mixed  "Committee  of  Privileges"  to  pro- 
tect the  societies  against  outside  interference  with 
their  operations.  It  had  before  authorized  the  stew- 
ards to  attend  the  district  meetings,  showing  a  wise 
gravitation  toward  the  complete  improvement  of  all 
its  available  resources.  Wise,  we  say,  because  God 
had  called  laymen  into  the  work,  who  were  little  less 
distinguished  than  the  ministers  to  whom  we  have 
referred;  such  as  Joseph  Butterworth,  Thomas 
Thompson,  a  member  of  Parliament,  and  chairman 
of  the  "Committee  of  Privileges,"  Christopher 
Lundiers,  and  others.  The  celebrated  class-leader, 
Carvosso,  about  this  time  left  all  secular  business  and 
gave  himself  wholly  to  spiritual  work,  going  from 
place  to  place  holding  revival  meetings.     This  was  a 


1 78  HIS  TO  J?  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

little  "irregular"  but  was  divinely  suggested,  and 
greatly  honored  of  God  in  the  conversion  of  many 
souls.  Some  churchly  ministers,  however,  could  not 
understand  or  enjoy  it. 

But  they  were  still  further  tried  by  the  activity 
and  success  of  certain  pious  women  who  were  moved 
to  operate  in  the  same  direction.  Ann  Cutler  went 
to  Dewsbury,  Bristol,  Leeds  Circuit,  and  elsewhere, 
and  so  labored  that  multitudes  were  born  again. 
''This,"  says  Bramwell,  "was  a  great  trial  to  many 
of  us;  to  see  the  Lord  make  use  of  such  simple 
means,  and  our  usefulness  comparatively  but  small." 
Mrs.  Mary  Fletcher  and  others  were  equally  efficient, 
and  helped  to  develop  the  slumbering  power  of  the 
sisterhood,  which  has  been  increasingly  appreciated 
ever  since.  Mrs.  Fletcher  went  further  than  most 
of  her  sex,  —  she  preached.  Perhaps  a  more  saintly 
woman  never  lived,  nor  one  more  beloved.  She 
died  December  9,  18 14,  in  her  seventy-sixth  year, 
full  of  joyful  expectations.  Her  expenses,  the  last 
year  of  her  life,  amounted  to  nineteen  shillings  and 
sixpence,  less  than  five  dollars;  and  never  amounted, 
for  her  apparel,  to  more  than  five  times  that  sum, 
while  her  contributions  to  the  poor  reached  to  nearly 
nine  hundred  dollars. 

NEW   TRIALS    ENCOUNTERED. 

In  the  outset,  Methodism  was  regarded  as  a  ripple 
upon  the  surface,  hardly  worthy  of  notice,  that  could 
easily  be  allayed  by  mobs,  civil  injustice,  and  popular 
prejudice.  But  it  had  now  become  so  strong  that 
serious  apprehensions  were  entertained  that  it  would 
undermine    and    overthow    the    Established    Church. 


CONTROVERSIES  SETTLED. 


179 


Its  average  annual  increase  had  been  about  seven 
thousand  members  for  many  years,  while  the  national 
Church  was  declining.  Lord  Sidmouth  introduced  a  bill 
into  Parliament  that  must  have  crippled  its  operation 
very  seriously,  as  well  as  those  of  Dissenters  gener- 
ally. Wilberforce  and  other  distinguished  Church- 
men strongly  favored  it.  They  could  see  nothing 
but  danger  in  the  12,161  chapels,  and  the  3,672  min- 
isters that  had  been  licensed  in  the  interest  of 
Methodism.  Indeed,  they  made  it  appear  pretty 
clearly  that  the  Methodists  and  Dissenters  through 
the  country  were  in  the  majority,  and  they  knew  of 
no  way  to  save  the  Church,  except  to  crush  out  the 
invaders.  But  the  Methodists  and  Dissenters,  now 
one  in  danger  and  interest,  went  to  Parliament  with 
such  multitudinous  petitions,  backed  by  the  influence 
of  Erskine,  Lord  Stanhope,  and  others,  that  they 
defeated  the  measure. 

But  this  did  not  bring  peace  or  safety.  Certain 
partisan  judges  took  the  liberty  of  giving  a  new  con- 
struction to  the  "Act  of  Toleration,"  which  would 
have  been  particularly  fatal  to  Wesleyan  ministers, 
both  traveling  and  local.  This  brought  the  "Com- 
mittee of  Privileges"  to  the  front  again,  who  so 
remonstrated  with  the  prime  minister  as  to  obtain  a 
new  act  of  Parliament,  which  defeated  the  wicked 
device,  and  secured  important  advantages  by  sweep- 
ing away  the  "Five-mile"  and  the  "Conventicle" 
Acts,  under  which  many  of  the  abuses  suffered  by 
Wesley  and  his  early  coadjutors  had  been  perpe- 
trated. It  brought  relief,  too,  to  the  Quakers  and 
other  Dissenters,  and  was  a  grand  achievement  for 
Christian  liberty. 


l8o  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

About  the  year  1806,  Dr.  Coke,  who  had  the 
sole  charge  of  the  missionary  work  under  the  confer- 
ence, projected  a  domestic  missionary  plan,  for  the 
purpose  of  pushing  operations  beyond  the  outmost 
boundaries  of  the  regular  circuits.  This  being  car 
ried  into  effect,  the  missionaries  were  immediately 
assailed  by  every  species  of  opposition,  and  the  civil 
authorities  would  interpose  no  obstacles  to  these 
riotous  proceedings.  The  missionaries  suffered  in- 
tensely from  mobs,  hunger,  and  the  want  of  shelter, 
and  some  sacrificed'  even  their  lives  on  this  fallow 
ground;  but  they  conquered  at  last.  Methodism  in 
England  has  richly  earned  all  the  influence  it  enjoys. 
If  the  present  ministry  were  willing  to  do  and  suffer 
half  as  much  as  did  its  pioneers,  the  millennium 
would  not  be  long  delayed. 

THEIR    FEELINGS    AND    TRIUMPHS. 

The  name  of  William  Bramwell  is  familiar  to 
many  of  'my  readers.  In  1806,  he  wrote  to  his 
friend:  "I  was  never  so  struck  with  the  Word  of 
God  as  at  the  present.  Its  truth,  its  depth,  its 
promises  quite  swallow  me  up.  .  .  .  My  soul 
enters  into  Christ  in  this  blessed  book.  ...  I 
could  read  and  weep  and  love  and  suffer;  yea,  what 
could  I  not  suffer  when  I  thus  see  him!  Justifica- 
tion is  great;  to  be  cleansed  is  great:  but  what  is 
justification  or  the  being  cleansed  when  compared 
with  this  being  taken  into  himself!  The  world,  the 
noise  of  self,  all  is  gone,  and  the  mind  bears  the  full 
stamp  of  God's  image.  Here  you  talk  and  walk  and 
live,  doing  all  in  him  and  to  him.  O,  this 

heaven  of  God's  presence;   this  opening  into  glory; 


CONTROVERSIES  SETTLED.  l8l 

this  weeping  over  a  lost  world;  this  being  willing  to 
lay  down  your  life  for  the  Church!  God  is  love.  I 
feel  its  fire,  its  burning,  as  I  write." 

This  was  the  power  of  the  fathers — they  felt 
deeply.  They  had  not  half  the  average  knowledge 
of  the  present  race  of  preachers,  but  they  were 
on  fire.  Like  Jesus,  they  wept.  Wesley  wept. 
Whitefield  poured  out  strong  cries  and  fears.  Bunt- 
ing, Newton,  Bradburn,  Benson,  Clarke,  Asbury,  all 
wept  because  they  felt — were  overwhelmed  with  con- 
cern for  sinners.  This  was  their  power  with  God 
and  men. 

Under  these  heavenly  influences  they  worked, 
preached,  held  family  meetings,  class-meetings,  vis- 
ited from  house  to  house,  suffered  neglect,  imper- 
tinence, and  abuse.  Entwisle  wrote  from  the  Roch- 
ester Circuit:  "  Having  no  horse,  we  have  much 
walking  in  lonesome  roads  and  wet  fields. 
As  yet,  we  have  no  lodgings  in  our  new  places. 
One  of  them  is  five  miles,  another  six,  and  another 
eight  miles  distant.  From  these  places  we  return  to 
supper.  However,  we  have  souls  for  our  hire,  and 
many  poor  people  come  two,  three,  and  even  four 
or  five  miles,  from  beyond  where  we  preach,  thirst- 
ing for  the  words  of  eternal  life.  .  .  .  Never  have 
I  seen  so  much  fruit  of  my  labors  in  the  same  time." 

RADICAL    MODIFICATIONS. 

Wesley's  "Deed"  gave  the  legal  hundred  full 
control.  Though  other  preachers  had  been  present 
at  the  conferences,  the  legal  conference  elected  its 
presidents  and  secretaries,  and  filled  vacancies  by 
seniority  of  service.     But,  the  outsiders  being  greatly 


1 82  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

increased,  the  conference  in  1814  provided  that  all 
preachers  who  had  traveled  fourteen  years  might 
vote  in  the  election  of  president  and  secretary,  and 
also  in  the  election  of  one-fourth  of  the  members 
necessary  to  fill  vacancies,  subject  to  the  confirma- 
tion of  the  legal  conference.  This  showed  a  kind 
and  brotherly  spirit,  and  no  doubt  did  much  to  pro- 
duce good  feeling  in  the  connection.  Under  this 
arrangement  Mr.  Bunting  was  constituted  a  member 
of  the  legal  hundred,  though  not  old  enough  to 
come  in  on  the  ground  of  seniority. 

THE    PRIMITIVE    METHODIST    CHURCH. 

It  was  now  about  time,  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
events,  to  have  another  disturbance  in  the  societies. 
The  New  Connection  was  becoming  a  little  stale,  and 
exciting  novelties  were  crowding  in  on  all  sides. 
Among  them  was  the  appearance,  in  Staffordshire, 
of  the  eccentric  Lorenzo  Dow,  from  America,  who 
at  once  attracted  attention,  and  all  the  more  by  hold- 
ing several  camp-meetings,  then  and  now  common  in 
this  country.  Some  were  delighted,  believing  that 
the  measure  was  calculated  to  do  much  good  among 
a  class  of  people  who  could  not  be  reached  by  other 
means.  The  conference  of  1807,  however,  was  not 
pleased  with  the  innovation,  and  took  strong  ground 
against  it;  but  Hugh  Bourne,  a  layman,  and  one 
Mr.  Clowes,  a  local  preacher,  were  so  impressed 
with  its  importance  to  the  work  of  God  that  they 
stirred  up  the  people  and  continued  the  meetings,' 
for  which  they  were  soon  after  expelled,  and  in  1 8 10 
organized  the  "Primitive  Methodist  Church,"  em- 
bracing  the   expelled    members  and    such   others   as 


CONTROVERSIES  SETTLED.  1 83 

sympathized  with  them.  They  did  not  secede,  had 
no  war  with  their  old  friends,  did  not  leave  them 
willingly,  and  have  never  had  much  controversy 
with  them  since.  Though  they  have  received  such 
from  the  Wesleyans  as  desired  admission  to  their 
ranks,  they  long  since  passed  an  act  that  any  mem- 
ber of  their  conference  being  guilty  of  denouncing  or 
criminating  another  branch  of  the  Christian  Church 
should  by  that  act  cease  to  be  a  member. 

Thus,  living  at  peace  with  all  men,  and  adopting 
the  most  liberal  and  energetic  measures,  they  have 
prospered  exceedingly.  They  hold  annual  and  quar- 
terly meetings,  maintain  the  itinerancy  and  other 
Methodist  peculiarities,  and  are  a  pious  and  devout 
people.  They  have  faith  in  God,  faith  in  the  power 
of  his  word  and  in  prayer,  faith  in  sudden  conver- 
sions, and,  like  the  Wesleys,  they  go  among  the 
lowest  and  meanest  of  men  and  win  them  to  Christ. 
At  their  conference,  in  1874,  they  reported  1,020 
traveling  preachers,  14,838  local  preachers,  164,660 
Church-members,  and  306,333  Sabbath-school  schol- 
ars. They  have  a  few  societies  in  the  Canadas, 
which  are  also  in  a  flourishing  condition,  but  have 
not  been  able  to  do  much  in  the  States,  because  not 
needed.  They  are  sometimes  called  Ranters,  in  ref- 
erence to  the  freedom  of  their  devotions.  Though 
the  movement  was  deprecated  by  the  conference  in 
the  outset,  it  has  done  a  great  deal  of  good,  and  is 
likely  to  do  much  more.  Its  increase  in  members 
in  the  last  twenty  years  is  56,747,  and  its  work  is 
extending  encouragingly  in  America,  New  Zealand, 
Australia,  and  elsewhere,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that 
it  has  exerted  a  beneficial  influence  on  the  Wesleyan 


1 84  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

connection  by  its  piety  and  persistent  labor  for  God 
and  the  salvation  of  men.  Though  it  took  away 
some  members,  the  loss  was  soon  made  up,  for 
in  18 1 5  the  conference  reported  943  ministers  and 
230,948  members,  and  in  1825  1,083  ministers 
and  283, 195  members,  showing  a  very  respectable 
increase. 


MISSIONS.  185 


CHAPTER  X. 

FURTHER    MISSIONARY  OPERATIONS IN   THE  WEST  INDIES 

THEIR    EFFECT  ON    EMANCIPATION MISSION    TO   INDIA 

OTHER      MISSIONS METHODISM      IN      IRELAND MORE 

TROUBLE  ABOUT  THE  SACRAMENTS. 

WHEN  Methodists  were  in  the  heat  of  their 
early  conflicts,  their  opposers  tauntingly  in- 
quired, Why  don't  they  go  to  Kingswood?  one  of  the 
most  heathenish  places  in  England.  It  was  believed 
that  the  godless  miners  would  prove  more  than  a 
match  for  their  Gospel  power.  They  were  not  long 
in  accepting  the  challenge,  and  went,  established  a 
soeiety  and  a  school,  and  lifted  that  degraded  people 
above  the  moral  plane  of  those  who  thus  im- 
pugned them. 

With  no  stock  in  trade,  no  ministers,  societies, 
funds,  or  schools,  and  few  friends  at  the  outset;  and  re- 
ligion in  the  British  Isles  in  the  lowest  spiritual  condi- 
tion, it  was  not  reasonable  to  believe  that  they  would 
soon  find  time  or  strength  to  reach  out  beyond  the 
home  field.  Yet  in  1760  we  find  them  making  a  begin- 
ning in  the  West  Indies,  a  little  latter  in  Nova  Scotia, 
and  in  1766  in  New  York.  These  movements  proved 
successful,  as  we  shall  soon  see.  Dr.  Coke  had 
charge  of  the  missionary  work  until  he  started  for 
India,  in  18 13.  He  did  the  planning,  begging,  and 
a  large  part  of  the  giving  from  his  personal  resources. 

16 


186  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

The  last  conference  attended  by  Mr.  Wesley,  how- 
ever, in  1790,  appointed  a  committee  to  co-operate 
with  him,  as  a  sort  of  Advisory  Board.  His  first 
missionaries  to  the  West  Indies  arrived  there  in  1786, 
several  years  before  the  London  or  any  of  the  now 
great  missionary  societies  were  formed.  Three  years 
later,  the  Wesleyans  commenced  operations  in  France, 
followed  by  others  in  Africa  in  181 1,  Asia  in  18 14, 
Australia  in  18 15,  Polynesia  in  1822,  and  thus  on 
until  they  had  dotted  the  four  quarters  of  the  world 
with  their  missions.  In  fifty-seven  years,  ending  in 
1859,  they  collected  and  disbursed  $17,349,160  in  the 
interest  of  their  foreign  work,  and  won  more  souls  to 
Christ  than  all  the  other  British  missionary  organiza- 
tions taken  together. 

OF   THE  WEST    INDIES. 

The  progress  of  the  cause  in  this  interesting  field 
is  worthy  of  special  attention  in  view  of  its  civil  as 
well  as  religious  results  to  the  inhabitants.  Dr.  Coke 
visited  these  islands  in  1792,  and  found  the  work 
terribly  embarrassed  by  persecution.  Some  of  the 
missionaries  had  been  driven  off,  some  were  in  prison. 
The  legislatures,  in  several  cases,  had  prohibited 
further  services  under  the  heaviest  penalties.  But  a 
considerable  number  had  been  converted.  He  did 
Avhat  he  could  to  comfort  the  suffering  but  deter- 
mined missionaries,  and  appealed  to  the  home  gov- 
ernment for  protection,  and  obtained  it.  One  of  his 
missionaries  had  refused  nearly  four  thousand  dollars 
per  annum  and  ordination  in  the  Church,  preferring 
to  work  for  the  poor  slaves.  In  1798,  the  mission- 
aries   had    increased    to    twenty-two,  and     extended 


MISSIONS.  187 

their  labors  to  most  of  the  islands,  braving  dangers 
and  death.  The  climate  and  the  persecutions  they 
suffered  were  most  fatal. 

The  ungodly  planters  seemed  to  feel  that  the 
preaching  of  such  a  Gospel  to  the  slaves  would 
sooner  or  later  destroy  slavery,  and  ruin  their  busi- 
ness, and  they  exerted  all  their  great  power  to 
prevent  it.  They  were  right  in  this  conviction. 
The  only  way  to  maintain  slavery  is  to  keep  its  vic- 
tims down,  a  little  above  the  level  of  beasts.  The 
first  real  step  toward  heaven  is  a  step  toward  lib- 
erty. Mere  ceremonial  religion,  without  God  or 
humanity,  is  safe,  and  oppressors  will  accept  no 
other. 

But  after  all,  they  were  obliged  to  acknowledge 
the  transforming  power  of  Methodism,  for  where  they 
had  been  compelled  to  maintain  a  strong  military 
force  during  the  holidays  to  keep  the  slaves  in  sub- 
jection, they  found  the  converted  slaves  could  not 
only  keep  themselves  in  order,  but  their  companions 
also.  And,  further,  that  it  was  safe  to  arm  them  to 
repel  invaders.  Thus  the  slaves  proved  themselves 
worthy  of  liberty  long  before  they  obtained  it.  The 
home  government  hearing  that  Methodist  slaves  had 
actually  served  as  a  military  force,  tendered  Dr. 
Coke  free  passages  for  missionaries  in  the  Falmouth 
packets,  and  exempted  them  from  paying  "  the  king's 
head  money." 

But  O!  what  sufferings  it  cost  the  heroic  mis- 
sionaries to  bring  about  this  state  of  things!  Bux- 
ton and  Wilberforce,  and  their  philanthropic  asso- 
ciates, received  all  the  glory  of  emancipation,  but 
without  these   Christian  missionaries,   they  had  only 


I  88  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  THODISM. 

labored  in  vain.  Theirs  was  a  terrible  struggle. 
They  were  stoned  and  starved  and  beaten  and  abused 
beyond  measure.  Societies  were  often  broken  up 
and  scattered.  Yet  in  1799,  Dr.  Coke  reported 
eleven  thousand  communicants,  mostly  slaves.  In 
18 1 5  the  conference  reported  about  twenty  thousand, 
though  some  of  their  chapels  had  been  closed  nearly 
ten  years  by  governmental  persecution.  In  1807 
Jamaica  enacted  a  law  forbidding  any  ' '  Methodist 
missionaries  to  instruct  slaves,  or  to  receive  them 
into  their  houses,  chapels,  or  conventicles  of  any 
sort."  Dr.  Coke  and  the  "Committee  of  Privileges" 
appealed  to  the  home  authorities,  and  had  it  nullified 
in  18 1 5,  when  the  chapels  were  again  opened.  Mr. 
Shipman,  a  missionary,  writing  of  the  reopening, 
says,  "The  people,  with  joy  sparkling  in  their  eyes, 
and  feelings  of  gratitude  visibly  portrayed  on  their 
countenances,  came  up  once  more  to  the  house  of 
the  Lord.  But  I  am  certain  that  few  of  our  friends 
in  England  can  have  any  conception  of  the  joy  this 
merciful  and  happy  event  diffused,  because  none 
have  been  prevented  by  law  from  worshiping  God 
for  eight  or  ten  years."  In  18 14  these  faithful  mis- 
sionaries pushed  their  way  to  Demarara  and  British 
Guiana,  where  the  first  class  in  South  America  had 
been  formed  three  years  before.  But  here,  too,  the 
fires  of  persecution  raged  furiously;  but  the  right  pre- 
vailed, as  it  did  on  the  islands,  in  a  most  miraculous 
manner.  For  many  years  the  slaves  did  not  expect 
freedom,  and  first  heard  about  it  from  their  enraged 
masters.  They  embraced  religion  for  its  own  sake, 
and  its  spiritual  and  eternal  benefits,  without  even 
hoping  for  any  change  in  their  civil  condition. 


MISSIONS.  189 

But  while  the  missionaries  were  thus  evangelizing 
them,  and  rendering  them  worthy  of  a  better  fate, 
the  question  of  their  emancipation  was  being  pressed 
at  home.  Out  of  352,404  signatures  attached  to  a 
petition  to  Parliament,  asking  for  emancipation,  229,- 
426  were  those  of  Methodists.  May  14,  1833,  the 
final  blow  was  struck.  Lord  Stanley  made  a  motion 
in  Parliament  that  from  August  1,  1834,  slavery  shall 
be  forever  abolished  throughout  the  British  colonies, 
and  it  was  carried.  All  praise  to  God  first,  and  sub- 
ordinately  to  Great  Britain,  its  philanthropic  lords 
and  nobles,  Churchmen,  and  Dissenters,  high  and 
low !  But  in  God's  books  the  laborious,  self-sacrific- 
ing missionaries  stand  foremost  among  the  multitudes 
who  contributed  to  the  grand  consummation. 

THE    SAFETY    OF   THE    MEASURE. 

One  of  the  most  alarming  arguments  against 
emancipation  was,  that  it  would  produce  rapine  and 
murder,  and  drive  the  white  population  from  the 
islands.  This  was  now  to  be  tested.  Those  who 
believed  it,  if  any  did,  looked  forward  to  the  first  of 
August  with  trembling  anxiety.  Time  rolled  on, 
and  all  was  quiet.  July  came,  and  still  the  negroes 
continued  at  their  task  as  usual.  On  the  morning  of 
July  31st,  all  was  peace.  The  day's  work  being  per- 
formed, the  negroes  assembled  in  their  chapels,  and 
kneeled  in  silent  prayer ;  and  while  thus  waiting 
upon  God,  the  clock  struck  twelve,  and  launched 
eight  hundred  thousand  slaves  into  freedom,  when 
they  arose  and  sung,  "Praise  God,  from  whom  all 
blessings  flow."  Nine  years  after,  at  the  Centenary 
of    Methodism,     eighty-three    missionaries     reported 


I90  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

42,928  members,  proving  the  Gospel  to  be  the  power 
of  God  to  save,  and  emancipation  to  be  safe  and 
profitable  to  all  concerned.  These  missions  now 
embrace  92  traveling  ministers,  and  44,014  members. 
(See  statistics  of  Protestant  Missionary  Societies  for 
1872-3.) 

The  Nova  Scotia  Mission  proved  alike  successful, 
and  has  been  lately  merged  in  the  Methodist  Church 
of  Canada,  a  wise  combination  of  several  branches  of 
the  Methodist  family,  aggregating  1,004  traveling 
ministers,  and  102,887  members. 

Of  the  mission  opened  in  New  York,  we  need 
hardly  speak  here.  Its  proceedings  and  results  will 
occupy  the  larger  part  of  this  volume.  It  is  enough 
to  say  that  the  child  has  never  dishonored  her 
British  mother,  or  become  alienated  in  her  affec- 
tions, though  she  long  since  outstripped  her  in 
numbers. 

MISSION    TO    INDIA. 

Having  successfully  inaugurated  these  and  other 
missions,  Dr.  Coke  turned  his  attention  to  India, 
which  had  been  upon  his  heart  for  several  years. 
That  pagan  country  had  singularly  fallen  under  the 
control  of  the  British  Government.  Knowing'  the 
poverty  of  the  Methodists,  he  at  first  thought  of 
going  out  as  a  bishop  of  the  established  Church ;  but 
failing  in  this  project,  he  struck  for  a  Methodist  mis- 
sion. The  Chief-justice  of  Ceylon  had  indicated  a 
desire  for  this  very  thing,  which  naturally  turned  the 
thoughts  of  the  doctor  toward  that  point,  and  espe- 
cially as  the  East  India  Company  was  opposed  to 
having  any  thing  of  the  sort  within   their  corporate 


MISSIONS.  I9I 

territory.  But  the  enterprise  was  not  approved  by 
many  of  his  associates.  They  thought  it  was  prema- 
ture. They  needed  Dr.  Coke  at  home  to  take  care 
of  the  missions  already  established.  He  had  always 
led  in  this  department  of  effort,  and  it  was  difficult 
to  see  how  his  place  could  be  filled.  But  having 
made  all  his  arrangements  to  go,  he  appeared  before 
the  conference  with  them  in  181 3,  in  the  sixty-seventh 
year  of  his  age.  "He  had  crossed  the  Atlantic 
eighteen  times  for  missionary  purposes,  yet  his 
godly  ardor  was  unabated,  and  his  conviction  of  the 
truth  of  Christianity  and  of  its  importance  to  man- 
kind was  increasingly  strong  and  controlling.  Some 
of  the  brethren,  considering  his  advanced  age,  the 
difficulties  connected  with  the  undertaking,  and  the 
serious  inconvenience  the  missions  already  in  exist- 
ence wrould  experience  in  consequence  of  his  depart- 
ure, attempted  to  dissuade  him  from  the  enterprise, 
desirable  as  they  confessed  it  to  be.  He  heard  their 
reasonings  and  remonstrances,  and  then,  bursting 
into  tears,  he  exclaimed,  in  a  manner  which  they 
could  not  resist,  '  If  you  will  not  let  me  go,  you  will 
break  my  heart.'  This  settled  the  question,  and  all 
opposition  was  withdrawn,  and  this  honored  patron 
and  friend  of  missions,  accompanied  by  seven  others, 
embarked  for  the  East,  in  December,  18 13.  On  the 
third  day  of  May  following  he  was  found  dead  in  his 
cabin,  having  expired,  it  was  believed,  in  a  fit  of 
apoplexy.  Thus  ended  the  life  and  labors  of  this 
estimable  man,  whose  name  will  ever  be  remembered 
in  honorable  association  with  modern  missions.  Next 
to  Mr.  Wesley,  no  man  was  ever  connected  with  the 
Methodist  body  who  contributed  more  to  extend  the 


1 92  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  THODISM. 

blessings    of   Christianity  among  mankind."     (Cent. 
of  Methodism,  p.   162.) 

He  was  nearly  forty  years  in  the  ministry,  pay- 
ing his  own  expenses,  and  giving  all  his  considerable 
patrimony  to  the  cause.  He  made  some  mistakes 
and  failures,  but  more  successes ;  suggested  to  Mr. 
Wesley  his  Deed  of  Declaration  for  the  perpetuity 
of  English  Methodism ;  organized  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  America,  established  missions 
in  the  West  Indies,  Africa,  and  Asia,  and  did  many 
other  notable  things  that  must  hold  his  honored  name 
in  lasting  remembrance. 

A   NEW  ERA  IN  THE  HISTORY  OF  MISSIONS. 

This  calamity,  however,  did  not  frustrate  the 
enterprise.  The  body  of  Dr.  Coke  was  committed 
to  the  deep  ;  but  his  associates  continued  their  voy- 
age, and  laid  the  foundation  of  the  mission  at  Ceylon, 
and  on  the  continent  of  India,  which  has  since  at- 
tracted much  attention.  And,  strange  as  it  may 
seem,  the  missionary  spirit  received  a  new  impulse 
at  home.  The  connection  had  been  relying  upon  one 
man  ;  but  now  that  he  was  no  more,  all  seemed  to 
feel  their  responsibility,  and  rallied  in  support  of  the 
cause  for  which  their  venerated  father  and  friend  had 
given  his  fortune  and  his  life. 

And  here  we  find  the  opening  of  a  new  era  in 
the  history  of  Wesleyan  missions.  The  necessities 
of  the  cause  suggested  to  Rev.  George  Morley,  su- 
perintendent of  the  Leeds  Circuit,  the  idea  of  a  mis- 
sionary society  in  that  town,  by  means  of  a  public 
meeting.  Rev.  Richard  Watson  and  James  Buckley 
were  appointed   to  preach,   and  Thomas  Thompson, 


MISSIONS. 


!93 


Esq.,  a  member  of  Parliament,  to  preside.  The 
meeting  attracted  general  attention,  and  gave  a  pow- 
erful impulse  to  the  cause.  Similar  meetings  were 
now  the  order  of  the  day,  and  followed  each  other  in 
quick  succession,  *  *  till  the  Methodist  congregations, 
from  the  Land's  End  to  the  Tweed,  caught  the 
sacred  flame." 

In  1815  the  conference  appointed  a  board  of  lay 
managers,  and  made  Jabez  Bunting,  James  Taylor, 
and  Richard  Watson,  secretaries.  Under  their  effi- 
cient agency  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  was 
organized  in  18 18,  and  gave  new  life  and  power  to 
the  missionary  cause.  It  soon  after  established  its 
head-quarters  in  London,  from  which  it  has  since  dis- 
pensed its  blessings  to  the  heathen  world.  Revs. 
George  T.  Perks,  M.  A.,  and  Luke  H.  Wiseman, 
are  at  present  its  general  secretaries,  while  Rev. 
William  Arthur,  M.  A.,  holds  the  position  of  hon- 
orary secretary  in  view  of  his  long  and  faithful  serv- 
ices. The  Wesleyan  Connection  has  also  another 
society  for  domestic  purposes,  called  "The  Home 
Mission  and  Contingent  Fund,"  under  the  secretarial 
supervision  of  Revs.  Charles  Prest  and  John  Bond. 
This  society  raised  in  1874  about  $122,000,  while 
the  other  raised  for  foreign  missions  a  little  less  than 
$513,000,  aggregating  nearly  $640,000  to  the  mis- 
sionary cause. 

The  missionaries  to  India,  bereft  of  their  honored 
leader,  reached  Ceylon  in  June,  18 14,  and  were  cor- 
dially received  by  the  officers  of  the  Government. 
Rev.  Thomas  H.  Squann  opened  the  service  with 
the  text,  "We  are  come  as  far  as  to  you,  also,  in 
preaching  the  Gospel  of  Christ."     Lord  Walsworth, 

17 


1 94  HIST  OR  Y  OF  METHODISM. 

commander  of  the  garrison,  was  deeply  awakened, 
and  the  same  evening,  kneeling  in  prayer  with  the 
missionaries,  found  peace  in  believing.  A  native  was 
also  awakened  by  the  same  sermon,  and  became  the 
first  native  Methodist  preacher  in  Asia. 

From  this  point  the  missionaries  sallied  forth, 
preaching  through  interpreters,  and  many  were  con- 
verted. Among  them  were  several  piiests.  Rev. 
Mr.  Harvard,  being  invited  into  the  temple  of  one 
who  was  awakened,  preached  before  the  idol,  taking 
for  his  text,  ' '  We  know  that  an  idol  is  nothing  in  the 
world,  and  that  there  is  none  other  God  but  one." 
Thus  the  work  proved  an  immediate  success,  and 
was  strengthened  by  English  and  native  missionaries, 
from  whom,  under  God,  Buddhism  and  other  forms 
of  idolatry  received  a  powerful  blow.  In  1839,  tney 
reported  twenty-one  missionary  stations,  forty-three 
missionaries,  and  about  twelve  hundred  members. 

OTHER    MISSIONS    ESTABLISHED. 

Missions  were  also  established  and  sustained  in 
Southern  and  Western  Africa,  with  much  labor  and 
sacrifice.  Mr.  Shepstone,  who  had  been  an  indefati- 
gable missionary  in  Southern  Africa  for  over  forty 
years,  has  recently  entered  into  his  rest,  leaving  be- 
hind him  traces  of  a  noble  life. 

Oceanica,  formerly  of  little  account  among  the 
nations,  is  now  a  New  World  of  itself,  to  which  the 
tribes  of  Europe  are  going  in  considerable  numbers. 
It  was  sunk  in  the  lowest  depths  of  degradation,  and 
practiced  about  every  crime  known  to  heathenism. 
New  South  Wales  was  appropriated  to  the  occu- 
pancy of  criminals  banished  from  England,  who  soon 


MISSIONS.  195 

formed  the  major  part  of  the  community.  Among 
the  few  virtuous  families  that  had  found  their  way  to 
the  country,  there  were  several  Methodists,  who 
formed  the  first  class  in  Australia,  March  6,  18 12. 
This  was  soon  expanded  into  three,  two  at  Sidney, 
and  the  other  at  Windsor,  one  of  which  was  led  by 
an  Irishman  who  had  been  converted  through  Meth- 
odist agency  while  waiting  in  prison  for  execution. 
His  sentence  being  afterward  commuted,  -he  was 
transferred  to  this  colony,  with  a  Bible  in  his  hands, 
the  gift  of  his  Methodist  advisers  at  home.  Being 
a  man  of  intelligence,  he  began  at  once  to  let  his 
new  light  shine  among  the  people,  and  became  the 
first  Methodist  preacher  in  that  island  country.  Ap- 
plication was  immediately  made  to  the  Missionary 
Committee  of  England,  when  Rev.  Samuel  Leigh 
was  delegated  to  that  field,  and  arrived  at  Port  Jack- 
son, August  10,  18 1 5.  This  was  the  beginning  of 
the  work,  which  has  lately  developed  into  four  annual 
conferences,  namely:  the  Sidney,  the  Victoria  and 
Tasmania,  South  Australia,  and  New  Zealand,  which 
meet  in  General  Conference  by  delegates  once  in 
three  years,  and  are  all  subject  to  its  direction.  The 
first  meeting  of  this  body  thus  constituted  was  ar- 
ranged by  previous  action  to  be  held  in  the  city  of 
Melbourne,  May,  1875.  They  have  three  colleges — 
the  Methodist  College  in  Victoria,  Newington  Col- 
lege in  Sidney,  and  the  Prince  Albert  College  in 
South  Australia — formed  after  the  models  of  this 
country,  and  give  a  first-class  education  for  the  high- 
est positions.  They  have  348  traveling  preachers, 
1,438  local  preachers,  and  66,686  members,  922  Sun- 
day-schools,   and    59,185    scholars.     They  have   also 


1 96  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

arrangements  for  printing  and  other  necessities,  in 
imitation  of  the  Wesleyan  Connection. 

How  marvelous  are  the  ways  of  Providence ! 
When  Mr.  Leigh  first  went  to  New  Zealand  he 
found  himself  surrounded  by  a  horde  of  hungry 
cannibals.  In  one  village  he  saw  twelve  human  bod- 
ies tattooed  and  arranged  along  the  way.  Another 
missionary  found  several  chiefs  roasting  a  slave  be- 
tween two  logs.  The  work  of  the  missionaries  was 
resisted  and  overthrown  several  times,  when  they  had 
to  flee  for  their  lives.  So  late  as  1830,  after  ten 
years  of  labor  and  suffering,  the  mission  seemed  at 
some  points  almost  a  failure;  but  God  came  to  their 
help,  and  it  triumphed.  Now,  cannibalism  is  en- 
tirely done  away,  most  of  the  inhabitants  can  read 
and  write,  the  arts  of  civilization  are  generally 
adopted,  the  Lord's  day  is  religiously  observed,  all 
of  which  has  been  effected  by  the  revival  of  God's 
work  in  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  souls. 
Even  kings  have  bowed  down  and  become  class- 
leaders  and  preachers. 

We  know  of  no  work  in  any  age  or  country  that 
shows  the  power  of  the  Gospel  to  elevate  society 
more  clearly  or  forcibly  than  this.  A  proper  pres- 
entation of  its  achievements  will  do  more  to  over- 
throw infidelity  than  any  fine-spun  arguments  that 
can  be  constructed.  But  we  have  not  room  for 
further  detail  here. 

Methodism  beginning  its  work  in  prisons,  among 
the  vilest  of  men,  and  conveying  it  to  the  lowest  of 
civilized  society,  who  were  hardly  as  impressible  as 
felons,  condemned  to  death  or  banishment,  and  then 
pushing  out  among  polygamists,  cannibals,  and  idol- 


MISSIONS.  I97 

aters,  has  demonstrated  the  salvability  of  all  classes 
of  men  by  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  After  what  has 
been  accomplished  by  these  experiments,  no  one 
needs  hesitate  a  moment  to  undertake  the  Christiani- 
zation  of  any  people  under  heaven ;  nor  should  we  be 
discouraged  by  any  opposition,  or  temporary  defeat. 
The  missions  under  the  immediate  control  of  the 
Wesleyan  Missionary  Committee  and  the  British  Con- 
ference in  Europe,  India,  China,  South  and  West 
Africa,  and  the  West  Indies,  embrace  908  principal 
stations;  6,963  chapels  and  other  preaching  places; 
1,213  ministers  and  assistant  missionaries;  4,717  paid 
agents,  catechists,  interpreters,  etc.;  25,043  unpaid 
teachers;  173,551  Church  members;  16,518  proba- 
tioners; 261,983  scholars;  and  four  printing  estab- 
lishments. (Connectional  Year-book  for  1874, 
page  160.) 

THE    WORK    AT    HOME. 

These  efforts  abroad  seem  not  to  have  retarded 
the  work  at  home,  as  many  predicted.  Considering 
the  attitude  of  English  Methodists,  they  have  ad- 
vanced with  reasonable  rapidity.  Unlike  Dissenters, 
they  have  been  liberally  denounced  by  all  parties,  by 
Churchmen  for  being  Dissenters,  and  by  Dissenters 
for  their  leanings  toward  the  Church.  But  every 
weapon  raised  against  them  has  failed.  An  attempt 
to  overthrow  Wesley's  Deed,  confirmed  it  forever. 
A  vicious  scheme  to  take  away  their  licenses  to 
preach  gave  them  more  license.  Attacks  upon  their 
doctrines  and  leading  men  have  not  succeeded  any 
better.  Both  survived  the  storm,  and  even  shone 
the  brighter  for  the  shadow  that  was  cast  upon  them. 


198  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

They  have  increased  and  sustained  all  their  various 
appliances  nobly. 

In  the  progress  of  events  they  have  been  able  to 
adopt  measures  for  the  full  support  of  all  their  itiner- 
ant ministers,  whether  in  effective  service  or  superan- 
nuated ;  and  years  have  elapsed  since  one  had  to  fear 
the  want  of  bread  in  entering  their  ministry.  This 
has,  no  doubt,  operated  favorably  on  the  cause. 
Men,  good  and  true,  have  been  secured  to  the  work 
who  might  have  spent  their  energies  in  a  less  useful 
way  had  the  idea  of  becoming  itinerants  been  iden- 
tified with  that  of  starvation  or  suffering  the  want 
of  the  necessaries  of  life.  To  enter  a  ministry,  even 
with  a  lucid  conviction  of  a  call  to  preach,  in  the 
certain  prospect  of  poverty  and  dependence,  and  per- 
haps of  great  suffering  therefrom,  requires  more  grace 
than  men  generally  enjoy. 

Where  there  is  one  who  will  do  it,  we  apprehend 
there  are  many  who,  though  constrained  by  conscience 
to  preach  the  Gospel,  would  impose  some  restrictions' 
upon  their  preferences,  and,  as  a  matter  of  apparent 
necessity,  enter  the  work  in  another  branch  of  the 
Church,  where  their  supplies  would  be  more  liberal 
and  sure.  We  believe  Methodism  in  America  for- 
merly lost  many  noble  men,  whose  influence  would 
greatly  have  accelerated  the  growth  of  the  Church — 
men  of  piety  and  talent — merely  by  the  paucity  of 
the  support  she  then  afforded.  She  may  have  been 
saved,  by  this  means,  from  the  curse  of  a  liircling 
ministry — a  ministry  that  seeks  the  fleece  and  not  the 
flock.  But  we  apprehend  the  losses  have  greatly  ex- 
ceeded the  gains. 

By  providing  surely  for  their  ministers,  not  only 


MISSIONS.  1 99 

while  in  effective  service,  but  when  disabled  by  sick- 
ness or  old  age,  the  Wesleyans  have  been  enabled 
to  select  their  men  for  the  itinerant  service.  The 
supply  of  candidates  is  always  abundant,  though 
they  seldom  receive  married  men,  unless  their  wives 
and  children  are  provided  for  from  other  sources. 
They  have  also  been  enabled  to  hold  them  rigidly  to 
the  work  when  received,  and  make  them  feel  that 
they  must  be  efficient  or  retire.  And,  besides,  the 
people,  paying  the  full  amount  required,  are  allowed 
to  be  more  rigid  in  their  claims  than  would  be  mod- 
est if  they  had  but  half  fed  their  preachers.  The  ad- 
vantages are,  indeed,  numerous,  and  the  Wesleyans 
have  been  reaping  them  for  many  years. 

METHODISM    IN    IRELAND. 

We  have  already  referred  to  the  introduction  of 
Methodism  into  Ireland,  and  the  establishment  of  the 
Irish  Conference.  Mr.  Wesley  took  a  lively  interest 
in  that  people,  and  visited  them  personally  forty-two 
times.  Dr.  Coke  was  also  there  often,  and  presided 
in  their  conference  some  eighteen  years,  and  contrib- 
uted largely  in  money  and  labor  to  their  welfare. 
To  human  apprehension  it  was  not  a  very  inviting 
field,  on  account  of  its  Popish  proclivities.  But  Wes- 
ley considered  the  Gospel  equal  to  the  work  it  was 
designed  to  effect,  and  moved  on  Popery  as  he  would 
on  any  other  sin,  "nothing  doubting."  Of  course 
he  was  resisted,  but  God  worked  in  his  own  way. 
At  first  all  the  preachers  were  English,  and  labored 
under  a  disadvantage  in  getting  at  the  people.  But 
it  was  not  long  before  some  of  the  natives  were 
converted    and    commenced  preaching.     During  the 


200  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

rebellion,  the  preachers  and  their  followers  were 
objects  of  special  hatred,  not  only  for  their  relig- 
ion, but  their  loyalty.  They  were  imprisoned,  tor- 
tured, and  murdered,  in  a  most  shocking"  manner. 
The  conference  of  1 798  wrote,  ' '  Never  did  wre  expect 
to  see  so  awful  a  day  as  we  now  behold !  The  scenes 
of  carnage  and  desolation  which  open  to  our  view 
in  every  part  of  the  land  are  truly  affecting;  we  can 
not  help  crying,  '  O  God,  shorten  the  day  of  our 
calamity,  or  no  flesh  can  be  saved!'  To  attempt  a 
description  of  our  deplorable  state  would  be  vain  in- 
deed. Suffice  it  to  say,  that  loss  of  trade,  breach  of 
confidence,  fear  of  assassination,  towns  burned,  coun- 
ties laid  waste,  houses  for  miles  without  an  inhabitant, 
and  the  air  tainted  with  the  stench  of  thousands  of 
carcasses,  form  some  outline  of  the  melancholy  picture 
of  our  times." 

Dr.  Coke,  taking  advantage  of  their  loyalty,  did 
them  good  service  with  the  civil  authorities.  Be- 
sides, the  Lord  called  several  natives  into  the  min- 
istry, who  attracted  much  attention,  and  spread  the 
new  plan  of  salvation  wherever  they  went.  One 
Bartly  Campbell,  somehow,  fell  under  conviction, 
and  went  to  his  priest,  who  put  him  upon  a  course 
of  penances,  to  no  effect.  After  much  struggling  he 
made  a  pilgrimage  to  Loughbery,  which  was  re- 
garded as  a  perfect  cure  for  sin,  but  only  grew  more 
distressed.  Calling  upon  the  priest  again,  who  had 
already  absolved  him,  the  following  conversation  oc- 
curred:  "Did  I  not  give  you  absolution?"  "You 
did,  father."  "And  do  you  deny  the  authority  of 
the  Church?"  "By  no  means;  but  my  soul  is  in 
misery.     What  shall  I  do?"      "Do!"  exclaimed  his 


MISSIONS.  201 

holiness,  "why,  go  to  bed  and  sleep."  "Sleep," 
replied  the  poor  sufferer:  "  no,  father;  perhaps  I  may 
awake  in  hell."  This  so  enraged  the  pious  father 
that  he  was  about  to  try  the  virtue  of  his  horsewhip, 
when  his  penitent  child  hurried  away  and  prostrated 
himself  before  God  without  the  aid  of  saint  or  priest, 
and  found  Jesus  precious  to  his  soul.  Happy  in  his 
first  love,  he  went  among  the  crawling  pilgrims,  suf- 
fering and  bleeding  around  the  purifying  spot,  and 
pointed  them  to  the  Lamb  of  God  as  the  sinner's  only 
hope.  Though  soon  driven  away,  he  told  "the 
story  of  Jesus  and  his  love"  most  effectually.  Mr. 
Moore  says  of  him,  forty  years  after,  that  he  "could 
not  be  satisfied  with  any  meeting  where  none  were 
convinced  of  sin,  or  enabled  to  rejoice  in  God," 
showing  that  he  had  the  right  idea  of  religious  work. 
If  all  Christians  felt  like  Campbell,  dead  meetings  and 
useless  service  would  not  be  so  common  as  they  are. 
Gideon  Ouseley  was  another  native  preacher,  full 
of  faith  and  power  for  more  than  fifty  years.  He  for- 
sook more  for  Christ  than  most  men.  He  was  hon- 
orably connected  and  well  educated,  and  in  good 
condition  to  meet  the  emergencies  of  the  hour,  and 
he  had  courage  enough  to  take  advantage  of  every 
opportunity  to  do  good.  One  of  his  methods  was  to 
kneel  among  the  crowd  at  mass  and  translate  and 
apply  the  Latin  prayers  to  the  people,  saying, 
"  Listen  to  that."  On  one  such  occasion  both  priest 
and  people  were  deeply  affected,  and  as  he  mounted 
his  horse  to  leave,  the  people  inquired  of  their  priest, 
"Father,  who  is  that?"  to  which  the  priest  replied, 
"I  don't  know;  he  is  not  a  man  at  all — he  is  an 
angel ;  no  man  could  do  what  he  has  done." 


202  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

One  writer,  speaking  of  Charles  Graham  and 
Ouseley,  who  traveled  much  together,  says:  "The 
mighty  power  of  God  accompanied  their  word  with 
such  demonstrative  evidence  as  I  have  never  known, 
or,  indeed,  have  heard  of.  I  have  been  present  in  fairs 
and  markets  while  these  two  blessed  men  of  God, 
with  burning  zeal  and  apostolic  ardor,  pointed  hun- 
dreds and  thousands  to  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world.  And  I  have  seen  the 
aged  and  the  young  falling  prostrate  in  the  most 
public  places  of  concourse,  cut  to  the  heart. 
I  have  known  scores  of  these  poor  penitents  stand  up 
and  witness  a  good  confession;  and,  blessed  be  God! 
hundreds  of  them  now  adorn  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
Jesus." 

These  men  would  thus  preach  four  or  five  times  a 
day, — every- where,  and  to  the  worst  classes  of  people. 
They  were  often  insulted  and  mobbed  ;  but  knowing 
the  Irish  language,  and  possessing  true  Irish  wit, 
they  were  seldom  embarrassed.  Then,  having  been 
trained  papists,  they  understood  how  to  meet  the 
whims  of  Romanists ;  and  preaching  a  part  of  the  same 
sermons  in  English  and  another  part  in  Irish,  they 
commanded  a  crowd  of  hearers.  William  Hamilton 
was  a  different  preacher,  but  admirably  adapted  to 
this  kind  of  work.  He  said  he  never  had  sounder 
sleep  than  after  preaching  three  or  four  times  a  day, 
sitting  on  his  horse  amid  thousands  of  noisy  papists, 
though  it  was  sometimes  on  a  bed  with  a  dog  behind 
him,  and  the  sow  and  her  litter  underneath.  But,  he 
adds,  "The  conversion  of  many  papists  made  up  for 
all  our  troubles." 

The  success  of  this  mission  was  wonderful,  but  it 


MISSIONS.  203 

was  not  for  Ireland  so  much  as  for  America  and  other 
countries.  With  all  its  prosperity,  for  many  years  it 
declined  in  numbers,  owing  to  the  immigration  of 
tens  of  thousands  of  its  members,  chiefly  to  America, 
breaking  up  whole  societies,  and  so  reducing  others 
that  they  were  comparatively  helpless.  But  the 
British  Conference  stood  by  them;  and  within  a  few 
years  American  Methodists  have  made  some  little  re- 
turn in  funds  for  their  continual  contributions  of  men 
and  means  to  this  country.  The  Irish  Conference  at 
present  embraces  152  traveling  preachers,  760  local 
preachers,  and  20,740  members.  It  is  a  permanent 
establishment,  provided  for  by  Wesley's  Deed  of 
Declaration.  One-tenth  of  the  legal  hundred  com- 
posing the  British  Conference  are  nominated  by  the 
Irish  Conference,  and  its  acts,  when  duly  confirmed, 
are  of  equal  force  and  validity  to  those  of  the  British 
Conference.  (Year-Book  for  1874,  p.  10.)  It  has 
two  colleges — one  in  Belfast,  and  the  other  in  Dublin — 
which  afford  respectable  facilities  for  the  education 
of  the  youth  under  its  influence. 

MORE   TROUBLE    ABOUT   THE   SACRAMENTS. 

The  agitation  of  this  subject  in  England  for  seven 
years  after  Mr.  Wesley's  death,  before  mentioned, 
made  but  little  impression  upon  the  societies  in  Ire- 
land, and  it  was  hoped  that  they  would  entirely 
escape  it.  And  they  did  for  several  years,  particu- 
larly as  they  had  been  well  served  by  one  Adam 
Averell,  a  regular  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, who  had  early  become  a  Methodist,  and  was 
twice  elected  president  of  the  conference.  He  was  a 
true    Christian,    but    more    Chirchish    than    Wesley 


204  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

himself.  Hence,  when  the  societies  began  to  petition 
the  conference  in  1810,  asking  that  they  might  have 
the  sacraments  from  their  own  preachers,  he  was 
alarmed,  and  took  strong  ground  against  it.  The  con- 
ference, however,  voted  62  in  favor  of  the  measure, 
to  24 against  it;  but  did  not  carry  it  into  effect  for  two 
years,  when  it  adopted  the  English  "Plan  of  Pacifica- 
tion," and  allowed  the  sacraments  to  be  administered 
in  eight  of  the  circuits,  provided  that  two-thirds  of 
the  stewards  and  leaders  should  demand  them,  etc.; 
the  vote  to  be  taken  without  agitation.  Mr.  Averell 
and  his  sympathizers  opposed  the  movement  in  open 
array,  and  carried  the  discussion  into  the  societies,  as 
if  heaven  itself  was  at  stake.  Many  of  the  chapels 
were  closed  to  the  conference,  which  led  to  debates, 
lawsuits,  and  other  evils  that  can  be  easily  imagined, 
and  finally  to  a  new  organization  by  Mr.  Averell,  on 
pretense  of  "replacing  Methodism  on  its  original 
basis  in  Ireland,"  called  "Primitive  Methodists;'" 
adopting  the  discipline  of  the  English  Primitives, 
organized  in  Staffordshire,  in  1810.  Only  one  of  the 
ministers  of  the  conference  besides  himself  left  it; 
but  many  of  the  members  did,  and  greatly  weakened 
the  body,  and  embarrassed  it  by  imposing  upon  the 
societies  heavy  expenses.  For  four  years  following, 
the  conference  reported  a  decrease  of  members, 
reaching,  in  18 17,  about  7,000.  But,  two  years  after, 
the  tide  turned  again,  and  it  reported  an  increase  of 
three  thousand.  In  18 19  the  Primitives  reported 
12,000  members,  most  of  whom  they  had  taken  from 
the  societies.  They  have  less  now,  though  they 
have  surrendered  the  point  of  original  dispute,  and 
allow  their  preachers,  in  full  connection,  to  administer 


MISSIONS.  205 

the  sacraments.  But  whatever  their  status,  we 
are  delighted  to  say  that  they  are  in  process  oi 
reunion  with  their  old  associates.  The  matter  has 
been  under  consideration  by  two  large  and  able  com- 
mittees, one  from  each  body,  who  report  very  favor- 
ably of  the  desired  consummation.  [Irish  Evangelist, 
March  1,  1875.) 

This  schism  furnishes  another  instance  of  reckless 
inconsistency  in  a  sincere,  good  man.  Averell  had 
been  breaking  the  rules  of  the  Established  Church 
ever  since  he  turned  Methodist.  He  had  been  or- 
dained deacon  only,  and  yet  had  been  administering 
the  sacraments  for  years,  squarely  against  Church 
order.  Besides,  he  knew  Wesley  and  the  British 
Conference  had  provided  for  the  sacraments  by  their 
preachers  in  several  instances,  and  had  never  objected 
to  it  so  far  as  we  know.  But  all  at  once  he  be- 
comes horrified  at  the  idea  of  other  ministers  doing 
the  same  thing,  and  must  needs  break  down  the  con- 
nection in  support  of  a  mere  ceremonial  "fable" 
which  he  had  practically  discarded,  and  which  he 
trampled  under  foot  to  the  end  of  his  life.  It  sug- 
gests also  the  folly  of  putting  men  into  responsible 
positions  before  we  have  tried  them.  Mr.  Averell 
was  a  relative  of  Dr.  Averell,  Lord  Bishop  of  Lim- 
erick, and  was  taken  into  the  conference  without  any 
probation,  and  put  in  the  front  rank.  He  was  re- 
garded as  a  great  acquisition,  but  hurt  Methodism 
vastly  more  than  he  helped  it.  Methodism  has  suf- 
fered enough  from  this  kind  of  men  and  policy,  both 
in  the  ministry  and  laity,  to  render  it  extremely 
careful.  What  have  often  seemed  to  be  our  greatest 
blessings,  have  turned  out  to  be  curses  in  disguise. 


206  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

BRYANITES    OR    BIBLE    CHRISTIANS. 

This  is  the  title  of  another  new  sect  which  resulted 
from  a  disturbance  created  by  one  William  O' Bryan, 
a  local  preacher.  Having  been  rebuked  for  various 
extravagances  in  reference  to  preaching  and  supporting 
the  ministry,  he  withdrew  from  the  connection,  and 
organized  a  new  society  under  the  imposing  title  of 
" Bible  Christian  Connection."  There  is  a  striking 
resemblance  between  this  body  and  the  Primitives. 
It  admits  lay  delegates  to  its  conferences  in  equal 
proportion  to  its  ministers,  whereas  the  Primitives 
allow  two  to  one.  This  connection  reported,  in 
1874,  1,991  traveling  and  local  preachers,  and  26,878 
members. 


METHODIST  INSTITUTIONS.  207 


CHAPTER  XL 

ORIGIN     OF     OUR     STANDARD     BOOKS OTHER     SECESSIONS — ■ 

CENTENARY    OF    METHODISM NUMBERS    AT    THE    DEATH 

OF    WESLEY EDUCATIONAL    INSTITUTIONS CONFERENCE 

OFFICE  AND    BOOK-ROOM. 

METHODISM  has  been  very  much  indebted 
to  its  authors — to  Wesley  for  many  mis- 
cellaneous volumes,  Fletcher  for  his  incomparable 
"Checks,"  Benson  and  Clarke  for  their  commenta- 
ries and  other  works,  and  Watson  for  his  "Insti- 
tutes," etc.,  all  of  which  have  contributed  largely  to 
the  progress  of  the  cause.  Fletcher  was  occupied 
seven  years  with  his  "Checks,"  and  Clarke  forty 
years  with  his  commentaries,  completing  them  in 
1826,  in  the  sixty-sixth  year  of  his  age  and  the 
forty-fourth  of  his  ministry.  Spending  six  years 
more'  in  such  literary  labors  as  his  age  and  infirmities 
permitted,  they  afforded  him  a  comfortable  support. 
Benson  gave  the  products  of  his  books  to  the 
connection.  Great  as  was  the  influence  of  these 
wonderful  men  during  their  lives,  they  have  accom- 
plished more  since  by  their  books,  being  read  and 
known  of  millions  in  both  hemispheres. 

ANOTHER    SECESSION. 

We   have   already   referred   to   the    establishment 
of    theological    institutions.     The    measure   was    not 


208  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

adopted  without  creating  some  alarm  for  the  purity 
and  simplicity  of  Methodism.  Dr.  Samuel  Warren 
was  on  the  committee  which  made  the  arrangements; 
but,  being  nominated  to  no  office,  he  arrayed  him- 
self against  the  whole  enterprise  and  the  Methodist 
polity  generally,  and  formed  a  party  to  oppose  both. 
His  course  was  so  violent  and  disorderly,  the  district 
meeting  suspended  him  and  put  Dr.  Newton  in  his 
place  on  the  circuit,  whereupon  he  appealed  to  the 
courts,  lost  his  case,  and  elicited  an  opinion  from 
Vice-Chancellor  Shadwell  which  has  been  of  great 
value  to  the  connection.  "It  is  my  firm  belief,"  he 
said,  "that  to  that  body  [the  Wesleyan  Methodists] 
we  are  indebted  for  a  large  portion  of  the  religious 
feeling  which  exists  among  the  general  body  of  the 
community,  not  only  of  this  country,  but  through- 
out the  great  portion  of  the  civilized  world  besides. 
When,  also,  I  recollect  that  the  society  owes  its  ori- 
gin and  first  formation  to  an  individual  so  eminently 
distinguished  as  the  late  John  Wesley,  and  when  I 
remember  that  from  time  to  time  have  arisen  out  of 
this  body  some  of  the  most  able  and  distinguished 
individuals  that  ever  graced  and  ornamented  any  so- 
ciety whatever — I  may  name  one  for  all,  Dr.  Adam 
Clarke — I  must  come  to  the  conclusion  that  no  per- 
sons who  have  any  proper  understanding  of  what 
religion  is,  and  regard  for  it,  can  look  upon  the 
general  body  of  the  Wesleyan  Methodists  without 
the  most  affectionate  interest  and  concern." 

Warren,  however,  carried  the  case  to  the  highest 
court  in  the  realm,  which,  after  thorough  investiga- 
tion, was  decided  against  him.  He,  notwithstand- 
ing, appealed  to  the  conference,  which,  after  hearing 


METHODIST  INSTITUTIONS.  209 

him  in  his  own  defense,  pronounced  him  expelled. 
Gathering  about  him  all  the  malcontents  he  could 
control,  he  formed  a  new  Church,  called  the  "As- 
sociate Methodists,"  or  Warrenites,  in  1834,  which 
soon  claimed  to  number  20,000  members.  The  doc- 
tor tried  for  a  while  to  manage  the  discordant  ele- 
ments he  had  brought  together,  but,  finding  more 
difficulties  than  he  had  anticipated,  took  refuge  in 
the  Church  of  England,  and  served  a  small  congre- 
gation in  Manchester.  The  little  band  of  his  fol- 
lowers struggled  on  for  several  years  without  much 
success,  and  then  combined  with  other  factional 
parties  and  organized  the  "United  Methodist  Free 
Church,"  which  at  present  claims  358  itinerant 
preachers  and  66,909  members. 

The  loss  to  the  connection  was  no  doubt  consid- 
erable, though  it  declined  less  than  one  thousand 
members  the  next  year  after  the  secession,  and  re- 
ported respectable  gains  for  the  years  following;  but 
these  losses  were  partially,  at  least,  compensated  by 
some  gain — the  conference  and  people  were  more 
united  than  ever,  and  the  legality  of  their  economy 
was  thoroughly  established.  Besides,  the  discussion 
revealing  the  most  objectionable  features  of  their  pru- 
dential arrangements,  it  led  to  a  wise  modification 
of  them  in  favor  of  the  masses  of  the  preachers  and 
people,  which  added  much  strength  and  harmony  to 
the  body. 

RELATIONS   TO    THE    METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH. 

We  have  already  referred  to  the  fraternal  visit 
of  Dr.  Emory  to  the  British  Conference,  in  1820. 
The  war  of  1776  suspended  the  pleasant  intercourse 

18 


210  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

between  the  two  branches  of  the  one  connection,  and 
led  to  the  organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  as  an  independent  body.  The  war  of  1812 
operated  to  keep  the  two  connections  further  apart 
than  was  desirable;  but  the  visit  of  Dr.  Emory  com- 
menced a  fraternal  intercourse  which  has  been  main- 
tained ever  since. 

CENTENARY    OF    METHODISM. 

The  centennial  anniversary  of  Methodism  oc- 
curred in  1839,  and  was  a  memorable  event.  It 
afforded  a  fit  opportunity  for  reviewing  all  the  wray 
in  which  it  had  been  led,  and  to  strike  out  new  and 
broader  plans  of  usefulness.  Including  Canada,  the 
upper  part  of  which  had  lately  been  taken  under  its 
care,  the  conference  embraced  within  its  jurisdiction 
1,635  traveling  ministers  and  420,198  members,  hav- 
ing had  an  average  annual  increase  of  nearly  ten 
thousand  members  for  the  last  fourteen  years.  It 
was  therefore  in  good  condition  for  the  anniversary. 

The  arrangements  were  made  by  a  committee  of 
the  conference  to  hold  meetings  all  through  the  con- 
nection, and,  if  possible,  raise  £80,000,  or  $400,000, 
for  different  connectional  objects,  as  a  thank  offering 
to  God.  But  it  soon  appeared  that  these  figures 
were  too  low,  the  whole  amount  being  paid  in  cash, 
besides  much  more  subscribed,  before  they  had  begun 
in  many  places.  The  enthusiasm  was  intense.  The 
people  contributed  from  real  heartfelt  gratitude  in  a 
surprising  manner,  until  they  had  reached  the  round 

Sum  of  ONE  MILLION  EIGHT  HUNDRED  THOUSAND  DOL- 
LARS. This  was  appropriated  I.  To  the  theological 
institutions;    2.    For  the  centenary  buildings  in  Lon- 


METHODIST  INS  TITUTIONS.  2 1 1 

don,  and  new  missionary  rooms  and  a  mission  ship;  3. 
To  the  relief  of  distressed  chapels;  4.  To  the  better 
support  of  worn-out  preachers  and  preachers'  widows ; 

5.  For  the  building  of  a  centenary  chapel  in  Dublin; 

6.  To  the  Education  Committee. 

This  financial  endowment  of  so  many  interests 
could  but  inspire  a  right  feeling  for  the  spiritual  and 
public  part  of  the  celebration,  which  occurred  Octo- 
ber 25,  1839.  Methodists  every-where  felt  the  grate- 
ful impulse,  and  participated  in  the  general  joy.  The 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  this  country,  though 
it  was  not  its  centenary  year  exactly,  raised  six 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  joined  in  the  jubilee. 
It  was  a  grand  demonstration,  and  made  an  impres- 
sion on  other  denominations  as  to  the  power  of 
Methodism  that  they  had  never  felt  before.  Gather- 
ing up  as  it  did,  in  sermons  and  addresses,  the  whole 
history  of  the  Methodist  movement  from  the  begin- 
ning, with  its  direct  and  collateral  influence  on  the 
social,  political,  and  religious  life  of  the  Anglo-saxon 
race,  it  flung  it  broadcast  over  the  world.  It  was 
thus  seen  "that  most  of  the  great  religious  and  phi- 
lanthropic institutions,  which  now  chiefly  embrace 
the  moral  power  of  Protestantism — the  Bible  Society, 
the  Tract  Society,  the  modern  Missionary  Society, 
the  Sunday-school,  as  an  agency  of  the  Church — 
sprung  directly  or  indirectly  from  the  influence  of 
the  movement."  Indeed,  it  was  conceded  by  a 
Churchman  that  "Mr.  Wesley  started  them  all." 
He  says,  "The  Church  and  the  world  were  alike 
asleep ;  he  sounded  the  trumpet  and  awoke  the  Church 
to  work." 

At  the  death   of  Wesley  his  followers  numbered 


2 1 2  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

about  500  preachers  and  140,000  members.  At  the 
centenary,  about  fifty  years  after  his  death,  they  had 
increased  to  5,200  traveling  preachers,  and  1,171,000 
members.  Since  then,  during  the  last  thirty-six 
years,  they  have  multiplied,  all  told,  to  24,866  itiner- 
ant preachers,  and  3,928,512  members,  and  have  in- 
creased more  in  their  appliances  than  in  numbers. 

OTHER  IMPORTANT  EVENTS. 

The  Centenary  Anniversary  having  passed,  the 
connection  seemed  to  enjoy  remarkable  prosperity, 
under  the  influential  lead  of  Dr.  Bunting  and  a  few 
other  congenial  spirits,  whose  piety  and  wisdom  were 
generally  acknowledged.  But  this  order  of  things 
did  not  please  certain  aspirants,  who  thought  them- 
selves entitled  to  more  consideration  than  was 
awarded  to  them.  They  were  particularly  hostile  to 
the  power  of  the  conference  and  its  leaders,  and  after 
much  private  conversation,  they  attacked  both  in  cer- 
tain "fly  sheets"  or  tracts,  in  a  most  merciless  man- 
ner. Messrs.  Everett,  Dunn,  and  Griffith,  the  leaders 
of  the  movement  were  arraigned  and  expelled.  This 
created  a  deep  sympathy  for  them,  which  they  took 
advantage  of  to  widen  the  breach,  and,  if  possible, 
break  down  the  connection.  The  result  was,  of 
course,  another  secession,  and  a  new  experiment  in 
Church  organization,  which  occurred  about  1850. 
The  connection  lost  by  these  means  from  sixty  thous- 
and to  one  hundred  thousand  members,  and  the  new 
party  brought  upon  themselves  immense  trouble  and 
mortification,  which  seems  not  to  have  been  com- 
pensated by  any  improvement  in  their  own  personal 
welfare  or  the  work  of  God. 


METHODIST  INSTITUTIONS.  21 3 

We  have  referred  to  these  painful  divisions  for  the 
purpose  of  erecting  a  beacon  of  warning  to  those  who 
may  come  after.  They  speak,  to  all  concerned,  in  a 
language  that  can  not  be  misunderstood.  The  great 
and  the  strong  should  learn  not  to  despise  the  weak 
and  foolish,  but  to  cherish  them  as  a  mother  her 
children.  If  they  pray,  hear  them  patiently,  and  treat 
them  kindly.  Never  stand  for  technicalities,  where 
the  peace  of  the  Church  and  the  welfare  of  souls  is  at 
stake.  If  they  "  compel  you  to  go  a  mile,  go  with 
them  twain,"  if  you  can  do  so  with  a  good  con- 
science. It  is  magnanimous  to  be  conciliatory.  If 
you  can  not  comply  with  their  wishes,  respect  them, 
however  unreasonable.  This  may  influence  them  to 
love  you,  though  they  may  still  think  you   in  error. 

The  disaffected  should  also  learn  to  be  modest  in 
their  demands,  and  patient  under  defeat.  The  fact 
that  they  are  in  the  minority  is  presumptive  evidence 
that  their  views  are  erroneous.  Their  brethren  are 
as  likely  to  be  wise  and  good  as  themselves.  If  they 
are  not,  which  is  possible,  they  are  in  no  condition 
to  be  hurried,  much  less  driven.  Besides,  measures 
carried  in  a  bad  spirit,  and  by  artifice,  will  not  pros- 
per. Let  them  maintain  their  integrity,  do  their 
duty  in  meekness  and  faith,  and  leave  the  result  with 
God.  But  never  raise  a  storm  to  gratify  self,  and 
punish  opponents.  Especially,  never  be  so  deluded 
as  to  believe  that  they  can  effect  much  for  religion  by 
indulging  in  evil  speaking  or  rancorous  agitation. 

EDUCATIONAL  OPERATIONS. 

Methodism,  being  cradled  in  a  university,  natur- 
ally  invoked  education  to   aid   her   enterprise.     The 


214  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

year  of  its  organic  birth,  1739,  gave  beginning  to  its 
first  school  (at  Kingswood),  for  the  training  of  poor 
children.  This  was  modified  and  continued  for  va- 
rious purposes  until  the  year  185 1,  when  it  was 
superseded  by  the  erection  of  fine  buildings  at  Kings- 
wood,  near  Bath,  and  designated  the  ' '  New  Kings- 
wood  school."  It  is  under  the  direction  of  a  com- 
mittee of  ministers  and  laymen  annually  appointed 
by  the  conference.  This  becoming  insufficient  in  its 
former  proportions,  the  Woodhouse  Grove  estate  was 
purchased,  and,  being  enlarged  and  adjusted  to  school 
purposes,  was  opened  in  18 12.  These  schools  are 
about  to  be  placed  under  one  government  and  one 
head  master.  Private  arrangements,  too,  were 
adopted  some  years  ago  for  the  education  of  minis- 
ters' daughters,  which  culminated  in  the  opening  of 
the  ''Five  Elms,"  in  1869.  The  following  year  this 
school  was  tranferred  to  the  connection,  and  another 
house  was  rented,  at  Beecholme.  Trinity  Hall,  at 
Southport,  a  private  school  for  similar  purposes,  was 
presented  to  the  connection  in  1871,  which  has  ac- 
commodated sixty  pupils  the  last  year.  The  whole 
number  of  ministers'  children  receiving  instruction 
in  these  several  establishments  is  388 — 250  boys  at 
New  Kingswood  and  Woodhouse  Grove,  and  138  girls 
at  the  other  three  places  named — while  306  boys  and 
girls  have  received  an  educational  allowance  at 
home,  making  a  total  cost  for  the  year  of  some 
$90,750. 

The  "Wesleyan  Educational  Committee"  dates 
back  to  1838,  and  consists  of  twenty-four  ministers 
and  twenty-four  laymen.  Its  prime  object  was  to 
promote  the  establishment   of  week   day    schools  for 


ME  T HOD  1ST  IX S  TIT U 7 '10 XS.  2 1  5 

children,  and  led  to  the  erection  of  the  Westminster 
Training  College,  for  training  teachers,  at  a  cost  of 
$120,000,  of  which  the  Government  paid  $37,500. 
After  making  two  enlargements,  the  premises  were 
devoted  to  male  students,  and  other  buildings  were 
erected  at  Battersea,  costing  nearly  $80,000.  The 
Westminster  College  has  131  male  students,  and  that 
at  Battersea,  103  females.  Besides  these  schools  the 
committee  reported,  March,  1874,  906  day-schools, 
giving  instruction  to  178,717  scholars. 

THEOLOGICAL    SCHOOLS. 

At  Mr.  Wesley's  first  conference,  held  in  1744, 
the  question  was  asked,  "Can  we  have  a  seminary 
for  laborers?"  and  was  answered,  "If  God  spares  us 
till  another  conference."  The  same  question  was  re- 
peated the  next  year,  and  answered,  "Not  till  God 
gives  us  a  proper  tutor."  But  no  school  for  the  pur- 
pose was  established  till  some  eighty  years  after — 
1834 — when  the  committee  of  the  conference  secured 
the  "Hoxton  Academy,"  which  had  been  used  for 
a  similar  purpose  by  another  denomination.  These 
premises  becoming  insufficient,  the  Abney  House, 
London,  was  rented  in  1839,  an<^  three  years  later 
convenient  premises  were  secured  at  Didsbury,  near 
Manchester,  to  which  the  first  branch  of  the  institu- 
tion was  removed. 

Another  establishment  of  the  sort  was  started  at 
Richmond,  in  1841,  and  opened  September  5,  1843. 
In  1864  this  was  sold  out  to  the  missionary  com- 
mittee, and  devoted  exclusively  to  the  education  of 
missionaries.  Needing  further  accommodations  for 
the  home  work,  a   site  was   obtained   at   Headingly, 


2 1 6  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

near  Leeds,  and,  September  25,  1868,  the  Headingly 
Institution  was  opened,  as  a  Seminary  for  Laborers, 
and  has  been  very  successful  ever  since.  But  in  all 
these  operations  great  care  has  been  taken  to  avoid 
the  introduction  of  men-made  ministers.  No  one  is 
allowed  to  enter  these  institutions  until  he  has  been 
acceptably  employed  as  a  local  preacher,  approved 
by  the  superintendent  and  quarterly-meeting  of  his 
circuit,  examined  and  recommended  by  the  district- 
meeting,  and  accepted  by  the  conference.  Then, 
instead  of  passing  him  directly  to  the  active  duties 
of  the  ministry,  he  may  be  placed  under  the  training 
of  one  of  these  institutions,  if  deemed  necessary. 

Thus  the  last  conference  accepted  ninety-four 
candidates,  of  whom  twelve  were  appointed  to  cir- 
cuits, twenty-five  were  sent  to  Richmond  as  mission- 
ary students,  twenty-five  to  Headingly  and  Didsbury, 
and  thirty-two  were  placed  on  the  reserve  list,  subject 
to  the  call  of  the  president. 

The  aim  is  not  to  bring  every  one  up  to  the 
same  educational  status,  but  to  give  each  that  train- 
ing which  shall  best  adapt  him  to  the  work  he  is 
expected  to  do.  And  that  they  may  not  depend 
alone  on  literary  acquisitions  for  their  prepara- 
tion, they  are  kept  at  work.  Upward  of  eighty 
circuits  were  visited  regularly  by  the  students  at 
Headingly  last  year,  who  held  nearly  three  thousand 
services  for  preaching  and  prayer,  besides  out-door 
preaching,  and  visiting  from  house  to  house,  thus 
giving  the  young  men  practice  as  well  as  theory. 
This  arrangement  seems  entirely  safe,  and  it  can 
hardly  fail  to  be  very  useful  Yet,  in  tracing  the 
history  of  the  conference  during  the  eighty  years  in 


METHODIST  INSTITUTIONS.  21/ 

which  it  had  no  ''Seminary  for  laborers,"  we  are 
surprised  to  find  so  many  distinguished  ministers, 
.  called  of  God,  and  thrust  out  without  much  previous 
preparation,  such  as  Mather,  Thompson,  Pawson, 
Bradburn,  Coke,  Benson,  Moore,  Clarke,  and  a  host 
of  others  of  the  same  class;  and,  as  if  these  were 
not  sufficient,  God  immediately  called  more  of  equal 
capacity,  as  Townley,  Treffrey,  Watson,  Newton, 
Bunting,  Bramwell,  Dawson,  and  many  more,  who 
gave  a  new  impetus  to  the  work,  and  made  them- 
selves immortal  by  their  achievements.  Such  a  body 
of  able  men  was  hardly  ever  known  to  exist  in  any 
Church  at  one  time.  Mr.  Watson,  speaking  of  Brad- 
burn,  after  walking  twenty  miles  to  hear  him  preach, 
said:  "I  am  not  a  very  excitable  subject,  but  Mr. 
Bradburn's  preaching  affected  my  whole  frame;  I  felt 
the  thrill  to  the  extremity  of  my  fingers,  and  my 
hair  actually  seemed  to  stand  on  end."  Similar 
declarations  were  often  made  by  others  of  his  own 
preaching  and  addresses,  to  say  nothing  of  his  im- 
mortal ''Institutes." 

Mr.  Bunting  was  the  first  elected  member  of  the 
"Legal  Conference,"  its  president  four  times,  and  its 
secretary  ten.  But  we  have  not  room  to  record  the 
grandeur  of  those  wonderful  men.  Nor  is  it  neces- 
sary: their  praise  is  in  all  the  Churches. 

It  is  also  a  noticeable  circumstance  that  God 
should  have  called  so  many  such  men  from  the 
sources  he  did.  It  looks  much  like  his  call  of  Moses, 
the  first  apostles,  and  Saul  of  Tarsus.  Wesley's 
followers  were  generally  poor,  ignorant,  and  unknown 
to  the  leading  influences  of  society.  His  preachers 
sprang  from   the   lower  walks   of  life   right   into  the 

19 


2 1 8  HIST  OR  Y  OF  METHODISM. 

ministry,  and  he  recognized  them  at  first  much  against 
his  taste  and  ecclesiastical  notions.  Preaching  was 
then  a  regular  profession,  requiring  much  preparation, 
ordination,  etc.  He  naturally  asked,  therefore,  "Can 
we  have  a  seminary  for  laborers?"  In  the  absence  of 
this  necessity  he  looked  to  the  Established  Church, 
and  welcomed  its  clergy  to  his  conference  without  a 
probation.  ~But  God  looked  elsewhere,  and  brought 
him  the  needed  preachers,  theologians,  and  commen- 
tators, upon  whose  voluminous  writings  the  Christian 
world  of  to-day  is  largely  dependent  for  its  best 
views  of  religious  truth. 

Adam  Clarke  was  a  poor,  dull  boy,  made  bright 
by  the  grace  of  God.  Bunting  was  the  son  of  a 
servant-girl,  poor  and  persecuted,  who  was  wonder- 
fully benefited  by  a  sermon  from  Richard  Boardman, 
while  preaching  on  his  way  to  Bristol  to  embark  for 
America,  on  the  words:  "And  Jabez  was  more 
honorable  than  his  brethren,"  etc.  (i  Chron.  iv,  9,  10.) 

About  ten  years  after,  she  married  William  Bunt- 
rng,  and  called  her  first-born  Jabez,  in  grateful  re- 
membrance of  Mr.  Boardman's  text.  Samuel  Brad- 
burn,  the  "Demosthenes"  of  the  connection  for 
forty  years,  was  born  at  sea,  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay, 
and  trained  to  the  shoemaker's  trade.  Robert  New- 
ton, one  of  the  most  effective  preachers  and  man- 
agers of  any  age,  was  born  of  poor  agricultural 
parents  on  the  sea-coast  of  Yorkshire,  and  born  again 
in  his  father's  house  while  kneeling  in  agony  of  spirit 
by  the  side  of  his  penitent  sister.  He  began  to 
preach  at  once,  when  about  fifteen  years  of  age. 
Thus  God  chose  "the  weak  things  of  the  world  to 
confound   the   things  which   are   mighty."     And  the 


METHODIST  INSTITUTIONS.  219 

days  of  these  miracles  are  not  past.  He  is  call- 
ing mighty  men  now,  like  Moody  and  Sankey  and 
Taylor,  who  must  not  be  trammeled  with  any  pru- 
dential arrangements,  so  called.  No  educational 
requisitions  should  interfere  to  blockade  these  provi- 
dential supplies. 

SEMI-CONNECTIONAL    INSTITUTIONS. 

To  the  institutions  we  have  named  may  be  added 
several  others,  strictly  Methodistic,  but  not  under  the 
complete  control  of  the  British  Conference.  One  of 
these  is 

The  Wesley  College,  at  Sheffield.  It  was  pro- 
jected in  1836,  and  went  into  operation  two  years 
after,  with  grounds  and  buildings  costing  $150,000, 
under  .the  title  of  the  Wesley  an  Proprietary  Grammar- 
school.  In  1844,  it  became  an  affiliated  college  of 
the  University  of  London.  The  deed  requires  that 
the  governor  and  chaplain  shall  be  a  Wesleyan  min- 
ister, to  be  nominated  by  the  directors  and  confirmed 
by  the  conference  annually.  It  furnishes  a  pretty 
thorough  preparatory  training  for  the  learned  profes- 
sions, and  sustains  a  good  reputation.  It  received 
191  pupils  during  its  last  session. 

The  Wesleyan  College,  at  Taunton,  was  estab- 
lished in  1843,  f°r  the  purpose  of  securing  a  sound 
literary  and  commercial  education,  with  suitable  re- 
ligious instruction,  at  a  moderate  expense.  The 
president  of  the  conference  is  by  deed  president  of 
the  college.  It  is  supervised  by  a  board  of  directors 
chosen  by  the  proprietors  and  the  superintendents  of 
the  Exeter  District.  Its  resident  governor  and  chap- 
lain   must   be   a   minister   of   the    conference    in    full 


220  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

connection.  Thomas  Sibley,  Esq.,  has  been  head 
master  from  its  commencement.  Since  1847,  it  has 
been  connected  by  royal  charter  with  the  University 
of  London,  and  students  are  prepared  for  the  matric- 
ulation and  degree  examination  of  this  university. 
The  school  is  divided  into  three  departments — the 
collegiate,  the  commercial,  and  the  junior.  The  en- 
tire number  of  pupils  during  the  last  half-year  was 
220.  It  is  a  beautiful  establishment,  and  is  growing 
in  favor  and  usefulness. 

The  Methodist  College,  at  Belfast,  was  founded 
for  general  Methodist  educational  purposes  in  Ireland. 
It  is  a  fine  establishment,  occupying  about  six  acres, 
near  the  Queen's  College,  and  cost  $200,000.  It  has 
an  endowment  of  $100,000,  with  most  of  the  desira- 
ble accompaniments  of  such  an  institution.  It  pre- 
pares students  for  the  Wesleyan  ministry,  accommo- 
dates under-graduates  and  graduates  of  the  Queen's 
University  attending  lectures,  and  furnishes  education 
to  the  sons  of  Wesleyan  ministers  at  a  reduced  rate. 
It  also  receives  boys  from  the  community  generally, 
and  prepares  them  for  the  universities,  civil  serv- 
ice, and  mercantile  life.  Ladies  and  girls  are  also 
admitted.  It  can  accommodate  over  one  hundred 
boarders  and  three  hundred  day  scholars,  and  its 
prospects  are  very  encouraging. 

The  Wesleyan  Connectional  School  was  estab- 
lished at  Stephen's  Green,  Dublin,  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Irish  Conference,  in  1845,  particularly  with 
reference  to  the  sons  of  Methodists.  The  premises 
are  held  by  a  mixed  board  of  ministers  and  laymen, 
and  are  subject  to  the  conference.  It  numbered  152 
students  at   the   close  of  the   last  year,   which  is  all 


METHODIST  INSTITUTIONS.  221 

that  can  now  be  accommodated;  but  arrangements 
are  being  executed  for  an  additional  building  in  the 
same  square,  costing  $50,000,  half  of  which  sum  has 
been  secured. 

A  High-school  at  Cambridge  is  a  new  project 
for  high-class  education  to  have  a  connection  with 
the  conference  in  a  certain  proper  way.  The  plans 
are  all  laid  to  purchase  the  Leys  estate  for  $75,000. 
The  first  governing  body,  already  elected,  consists 
of  eight  ministers  and  eleven  laymen.  Cambridge, 
being  one  of  the  university  towns  of  England, 
affords  a  very  suitable  location  for  such  a  school. 
The  subscriptions  to  the  enterprise  promise  well  for 
its  success. 

The  last,  but  not  least,  of  Wesleyan  educational 
establishments,  is  "The  Children's  Home,"  de- 
signed to  shelter  and  educate  homeless  children.  It 
has  been  in  operation  five  years,  and  has  done  a 
noble  work.  It  is  divided  into  several  branches. 
The  one  at  London  has  140  children  receiving  in- 
struction in  letters  and  various  departments  of  indus- 
try, such  as  printing,  carpentering,  shoe-making, 
dress-making,  etc.  At  Edgeworth,  Lancashire,  is 
another  branch,  where  they  have  a  fine  property. 
Canadian  friends  have  purchased  another  at  Ham- 
ilton, at  a  cost  of  $10,000,  which  comes  under 
the  general  arrangement.  Fifty  children  were  sent 
thither  in  May,  1843,  and  forty  boys  have  gone 
since.  The  Canadian  government  is  so  well  pleased 
with  the  movement  that  it  promises  pecuniary  aid. 
When  the  children  are  properly  prepared,  places  are 
obtained  for  them.  The  report  made  to  the  "Edu- 
cation Committee  of  Review,"  July  24,    1874,  says: 


222  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

"During  the  eighteen  months   last   past  the  income 
of  the  home  has  been  #71,835." 

Nothing  certainly  could  be  more  in  harmony  with 
Wesley's  whole  spirit  and  life  than  this  provision  for 
poor  children,  and  it  furnishes  a  better  guarantee  for 
the  future  success  of  British  Methodism  than  mag- 
nificent churches  and  splendid  colleges,  however  de- 
sirable they  may  be.  God  has  always  shown  special 
partiality  for  those  nations  and  Churches  which  have 
cared  for  his  poor.  Though  Methodism  began  in  a 
college,  it  struck  at  once  for  the  poor  and  degraded 
to  lift  them  up,  and  this  has  been  its  strength.  The 
moment  it  turns  aside  from  this  work  its  prosperity 
is  at  an  end. 

CONFERENCE    OFFICE   AND    BOOK-ROOM. 

Our  outline  of  English  Methodism  will  be  radi- 
cally defective  if  we  omit  special  reference  to  its 
publishing  establishment.  This  originated  with  Mr. 
Wesley,  who  published  and  sold  his  own  and  other 
books  which  he  deemed  important  to  his  noble  work ; 
and  he  appropriated  all  the  profits  accruing  there- 
from to  the  poor  preachers  and  the  cause  of  God. 
At  his  death  he  left  his  book-establishment,  with  all 
belonging  to  it,  in  trust  for  the  sole  use  and  bene- 
fit of  the  conference.  Since  then,  its  profits  have 
been  annually  appropriated  to  needy  and  aged  min- 
isters, the  widows  of  ministers,  and  other  benevolent 
objects.  Its  head-quarters  are  at  No.  2  Castle  Street, 
City  Road,  and  66  Paternoster  Row,  London.  It 
publishes  several  periodicals,  among  which  we  find 
The  Arminian  Magazine,  which  was  commenced 
by  Mr.  Wesley  in  1777.      It  also  issues  a  great  vari- 


METHODIST  INSTITUTIONS.  223 

ety  of  books  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  connection. 
It  is  under  the  management,  at  the  present,  of  Rev. 
F.  J.  Jobson,  D.  D.,  book-steward;  Rev.  B.  Frank- 
land,  B.  A.,  and  Rev.  B.  Gregory,  editors,  subject 
to  the  conference,  and  intermediately  to  the  book- 
committee,  consisting  of  the  officials  and  the  super- 
intendents of  the  London  Circuits,  who  usually  meet 
on  the  first  Monday  of  each  month.  The  London 
Quarterly  Review  is  not  published  by  them,  though 
it  is  conducted  by  Methodists  in  the  interest  of  the 
connection.  The  same  is  true  of  the  London  Watch- 
man, and  of  the  Methodist  Recorder,  and  of  a  new 
paper  just  started,  called  The  Methodist,  which  will 
represent  all  classes  of  English  Methodists.  This 
establishment  is  a  powerful  agency  for  God  and  the 
denomination,  and  is  another  evidence  of  the  pious 
forecast  of  its  remarkable  founder. 

ORGANISM    OF    BRITISH    WESLEYAN    CONNECTION. 

This  being  the  mother  Church  of  Methodism, 
from  which  all  other  Arminian  Methodisms  have  di- 
rectly or  indirectly  sprung,  we  deem  it  appropriate 
to  give  an  outline  of  its  organism.  The  British  An- 
nual Conference  is  its  highest  court  and  only  legisla- 
tive body.  It  is  composed  of  one  hundred  members, 
all  of  whom  must  be  preachers  and  expounders  of  Gods 
Word,  under  the  care  and  direction  of  the  conference, 
according  to  the  "Deed  of  Declaration."  The  deed 
itself  gave  the  names  of  the  first  hundred  members, 
and  provided  for  filling  vacancies  as  they  might 
occur  by  death,  expulsion,  resignation,  superannua- 
tion, or  otherwise.  It  can  do  business  legally  with 
forty  members,  and  is  required  to  continue  its  annual 


224  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

sessions  not  less  than  five  days,  nor  more  than  three 
weeks.  Its  first  session  was  held  in  1791,  a  few 
months  after  Mr.  Wesley's  death.  There  being  some 
feeling  among  the  two  hundred  and  twenty-six 
preachers  not  embraced  in  the  ''legal  hundred,"  the 
conference  very  wisely  resolved  that  all  the  preachers 
in  full  connection  should  enjoy  equal  privileges  with 
themselves,  so  far  as  the  deed  would  permit.  Prior 
to  1 8 14,  vacancies  were  filled  by  seniority  of  service, 
thus  avoiding  all  competition  ;  but  the  arrangement 
kept  out  some  of  the  ablest  men  of  the  conference. 
The  non-legal  members  are  allowed  to  participate  in 
the  election  of  the  president  and  secretary,  and  also  to 
elect  members  to  fill  one-fourth  of  the  occurring  va- 
cancies. This  brought  Dr.  Bunting  into  the  confer- 
ence, who  was  the  first  elected  member.  Lately  they 
have  permitted  them  to  fill  every  alternate  vacancy, 
which  is  legal,  provided  the  chartered  hundred  shall 
indorse  their  selection.  Similar  courtesy  has  also 
been  extended  to  the  Irish  Conference,  whereby  it 
nominates  one-tenth  of  the  candidates  to  fill  vacancies ; 
and  its  action  in  other  respects,  when  duly  con- 
firmed, is  of  equal  authority  with  that  of  the  British 
Conference.  And  this  is  all  in  beautiful  conformity 
with  Mr.  Wesley's  dying  entreaty;  namely,  "I  be- 
seech you  by  the  mercies  of  God  that  you  never 
avail  yourselves  of  the  '  Deed  of  Declaration '  to 
assume  any  authority  over  your  brethren  ;  but  let  all 
things  go  on  among  those  itinerants  who  choose  to 
remain  together,  exactly  in  the  same  manner  as 
when  I  was  with  you,  so  far  as  circumstances  will 
permit." 

Here,  then,  is  the  high  court  of  jurisdiction  among 


METHODIST  INSTITUTIONS.  225 

our  British  brethren,  having  charge  of  every  interest 
connected  with  them,  whether  spiritual,  temporal,  or 
ecclesiastical,  directing  and  controlling  3,500  travel- 
ing ministers,  27,327  local  preachers,  628,460  mem- 
bers, and  incidental  matters  involving  tremendous 
responsibilities.  But  while  the  legal  conference  is 
the  real  center  of  power,  it  does  very  little  of  the 
work,  this  being  distributed  among  subordinate  agen- 
cies, from  the  president  down  to  the  youngest  and 
poorest  of  its  local  classes. 

OF    DISTRICT    MEETINGS. 

These  were  instituted  at  the  first  meeting  of  the 
conference  after  Mr.  Wesley's  death,  and  embrace 
all  the  itinerant  preachers  on  the  district,  whether  in 
full  connection  or  on  trial,  and  they  are  required  to 
attend  the  annual  meetings,  unless  unavoidably  pre- 
vented. These  meetings  rank  second  to  the  confer- 
ence in  authority.  During  the  transaction  of  financial 
business  the  stewards  of  the  several  circuits,  the 
district  treasurers  of  the  Children's  Fund  and  the 
Worn-out  Ministers'  Fund,  the  foreign  missionary 
district  treasurer,  the  lay  members  of  the  district 
chapel  sub-committee,  and  the  lay  treasurers  of  the 
Connectional  Funds,  are  members  of  the  meeting. 

Minor  District  Meetings  are  composed  of  the  chair- 
man of  the  district  and  four  ministers,  who  form  a 
court  for  the  settlement  of  differences  that  may  arise 
among  the  preachers,  and  to  try  appeals  from  accused 
members  of  the  society,  and  from  superintendents, 
against  the  action  or  non-action  of  leaders'  meetings. 
In  all  these  cases  the  parties  have  the  right  of  appeal 
to  the  annual  district  meeting. 


226  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Mixed  District  Meetings  originated  in  disputes 
about  the  sacraments  in  1794,  and  take  cognizance 
of  immoral  conduct  and  heresies  on  the  part  of 
preachers,  and  consist  of  all  the  preachers'  of  the  dis- 
trict, and  the  trustees,  stewards,  and  leaders  of  the 
circuit  concerned.  This  meeting  can  only  determine 
the  guilt  or  innocence  of  the  party  suspected.  If 
found  guilty,  however,  he  is  removed  from  the  circuit. 
The  district  meeting  alone  can  finally  determine 
the  case. 

The  Special'  District  Meeting  consists  of  all  the 
ministers  of  the  district,  and,  if  desirable,  four  preach- 
ers from  other  districts,  to  be  selected  by  the  parties 
especially  interested.  The  president  of  the  confer- 
ence may  preside  if  invited.  This  body  convenes 
only  on  very  special  occasions.  An  appeal  to  the 
annual  conference  from  its  decisions  is  admissible. 

The  Annual  District  Meeting,  held  in  May,  is 
purely  administrative,  embracing  the  examination  of 
the  preachers,  the  condition  of  the  societies,  candi- 
dates for  the  ministry,  who,  if  approved,  are  recom- 
mended to  the  approaching  conference.  The  collec- 
tions for  the  year  are  reported  also,  applications  for 
permission  to  build  chapels  or  schools  considered  and 
determined,  and  the  preachers  designated  who  may 
attend  the  conference. 

The  Financial  District  Meeting  looks  after  the  tem- 
poral affairs  of  the  district. 

The  Circuit  Quarterly  Meeting  is  the  chief  local 
court,  consisting  of  the  ministers,  stewards,  leaders, 
local  preachers,  and  trustees  of  the  circuit,  and  has 
disciplinary  powers,  as  well  as  the  control  of  all  the 
moneys  raised  for  the  support  of  the  ministers  of  the 


METHODIST  INSTITUTIONS.  227 

circuit,  and  is  required  to  furnish  the  necessary  sup- 
plies. This  is  the  grand  board  of  finance,  and  has 
the  sole  right  of  petitioning  the  conference  as  to  the 
appointment  of  ministers. 

Besides  these  meetings,  they  have  leaders',  local 
preachers',  and  trustees'  meetings,  involving  certain 
responsibilities,  indicated  by  their  respective  titles. 
But  we  find  no  bishops  connected  with  any  of  these 
arrangements.  Though  Air.  Wesley  ordained  two 
superintendents  which  the  conference  might  have 
recognized  and  employed,  they  preferred  to  elect 
their  president  annually,  and  have  done  so  from  the 
beginning.  And  they  have  not  perished  for  the  want 
of  an  episcopal  head  ;  nor  have  they  suffered  for  ordi- 
nation. Till  1836  they  ordained  without  the  imposi- 
tion of  hands,  and  then,  -with  the  aid  of  our  own 
delegate,  Dr.  Fisk,  they  adopted  it  for  mere  form's 
sake,  not  deeming  it  at  all  necessary.  And  they  did  it 
themselves,  without  the  aid  of  a  bishop,  claiming,  as 
we  do,  the  indefeasible  right  of  elders  to  ordain,  and 
preferring  this  course  to  employing  a  bishop.  Which 
is  the  better  way  is  a  question  about  which  good 
men  may  honestly  differ.  Whether  bishops  or  presi- 
dents, they  have  no  authority  above  any  elder  except 
that  which  is  given  them  by  their  electors.  Mr. 
Wesley,  aiming  to  secure  an  efficient  administration, 
required  that  members  of  the  legal  conference  should 
drop  out  on  becoming  superannuated,  and  effective 
ones  be  put  in  their  place,  and  the  conference  pre- 
fers to  make  a  fresh  choice  for  president  every  year. 

Nor  do  we  find  in  this  arrangement  any  mention 
of  presiding  elders.  These  are  superseded  in  part  by 
chairmen   of  districts,    who    are    still   pastors.     They 


228  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

attend  the  annual  district  meeting,  and  some  subor- 
dinate meetings,  as  occasion  may  require.  The 
superintendent  of  the  circuit  performs  another  part  of 
our  presiding  elder's  duty,  in  holding  the  quarterly- 
meetings  in  his  circuit.  The  more  delicate  and  re- 
sponsible part  of  his  work  is  provided  for  in  another 
way,  to  be  considered  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHURCH  ECONOMY.  229 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    APPOINTMENT    OF    THE    PREACHERS HOW   DONE 

NEGOTIATIONS  SOUGHT — OF  THE  BENEVOLENCES  OF 
THE  WESLEYANS CONCLUDING  REMARKS. 

THE  more  difficult  work,  referred  to  in  the  close 
of  the  last  chapter,  is  that  of  appointing  the 
preachers.  Mr.  Wesley  did  this,  while  he  lived,  at 
his  own  discretion,  committing  himself,  however,  to 
certain  trustees  not  to  keep  one  man  in  the  same 
place  more  than  two  years  in  succession,  except  in 
case  of  revival,  where  longer  continuance  should  be 
especially  necessary.  This  was  as  far  as  he  could  go 
without  seeming  to  array  himself  against  Divine 
Providence.  But  his  Deed  of  Declaration  allowed  of 
three  years'  continuance,  though  it  did  not  define  the 
manner  of  making  the  appointments.  The  legal  con- 
ference, however,  at  first  restricted  the  term  to  two 
years,  except  as  before  stated.  It  also  provided  for 
a  "Stationing  Committee,"  to  prepare  the  appoint- 
ments. This  was  no  accident,  if  it  was  a  blunder, 
but  a  settled  preference  for  the  Presbyterial  System. 
Mr.  Wesley  ordained  Dr.  Coke  a  superintendent  or 
bishop  in  1769,  and  Alexander  Mather  in  1787;  and 
they  were  both  present  and  fully  empowered  to  per- 
form Episcopal  functions,  but  were  virtually  dis- 
carded, though  great  and  good  men.     Special  effort 


230  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

was  afterward  made  to  inaugurate  the  Episcopal  form 
of  government,  but  it  was  a  failure. 

The  stationing  committee  was  to  be  composed 
of  one  minister  from  each  district,  to  be  elected  by 
the  ministers  of  the  district ;  and  they  were  required 
to  meet  at  the  place  where  the  conference  should  sit 
three  days  in  the  week  preceding  the  session,  in  order 
to  prepare  the  appointments.  That  plan  has  been 
maintained  to  the  present  time  with  variations.  The 
stationing  committee  now  consists  of  the  president 
and  secretary  of  the  conference  ;  the  ex-president  and 
four  ministers  appointed  by  the  conference,  together 
with  one  representative  minister  from  each  of  the 
thirty-four  districts,  elected  by  the  joint  vote  of  the 
clerical  and  lay  members  of  the  district  committee. 
How  two  thousand  ministers  can  be  satisfactorily 
stationed  and  changed  from  time  to  time  seems  to 
many  quite  unaccountable.  Even  Methodists,  who 
have  been  accustomed  to  bishops  and  presiding  elders, 
can  hardly  see  how  so  delicate  a  work  can  be  done 
without  them.  But  our  English  brethren  seem  to 
move  on  very  smoothly  and  give  general  satisfaction. 
And  they  do  it,  too,  without  requiring  the  abandon- 
ment of  all  Church  and  ministerial  intermeddling, 
which  is  thought  by  some  to  be  necessary  with  us. 
Indeed,  they  seek  to  have  all  parties  in  interest  par- 
ticipate in  making  the  appointments,  not  only  by 
sharing  in  electing  the  stationing  committee,  but  by 
negotiating  and  settling  the  appointments,  so  far  as 
possible,  before  that  committee  shall  meet. 

The   conference    at    its   last    session    ordained   as 
follows : 

"Each    representative   of  a  district"  (on  the  sta- 


CHUR  CH  E  CONOMY.  2  3 1 

tioning  committee)  "is  directed  to  send  to  the  sec- 
retary  of  the  conference,  not  latter  than  the  5  th  of 
July,  in  each  year,  upon  a  schedule  to  be  provided 
by  him,  complete  lists  of  the  arrangements  provis- 
ionally made  for  the  stationing  of  the  ministers  in 
his  district,  the  invitations  accepted  by  ministers  in 
his  district  to  circuits  in  other  districts,  all  ministers 
in  his  district  for  whom  no  arrangement  has  been 
made ;  from  these  lists  the  secretary  shall  compile 
and  cause  to  be  printed  in  a  convenient  form,  for 
use  in  the  stationing  committee,  one  complete  list  of 
all  arrangements  thus  provisionally  made,  and  a  sep- 
rate  list  of  all  ministers  for  whom  provisional  arrange- 
ments have  not  been  made,  and  a  copy  of  these  lists 
shall  be  sent  to  each  member  of  the  stationing  com- 
mittee at  least  seven  days  before  the  meeting  of  that 
committee."  (Connectional  Record  and  Year-book 
for  1874,  pp.   122,   123.) 

Thus  negotiations  and  even  contracts  between  the 
preachers  and  people  are  sought  and  encouraged  by 
the  conference.  And  they  are  generally  sanctioned, 
though  they  may  be  canceled  for  good  reasons. 
Here  the  Wesleyans  stand  exactly  on  a  par  with 
other  denominations.  Presbyterian  ministers  and 
people  may  make  a  contract,  but  to  be  valid  the 
presbytery  must  approve  it,  otherwise  it  is  null 
and  void.  The  same  is  true  of  the  Episcopalians, 
no  contract  will  stand  unless  it  be  approved  by  the 
bishop  of  the  diocese.  And  even  among  Congrega- 
tionalists,  who  claim  the  largest  kind  of  freedom,  no 
contract  of  the  sort  is  of  any  force  unless  it  have  the 
indorsement  of  a  council.  So  that,  really,  the  only 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  a  Wesleyan  preacher  securing 


232  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

a  circuit  to  his  taste  lies  in  finding  one  that  has 
good  sense  enough  to  give  him  a  call.  If  he  fails  in 
this,  the  presumption  is  that  he  is  not  much  in  de- 
mand, or  that  he  is  looking  too  high. 

Whether  this  method  secures  a  wiser  distribution 
of  ministerial  talent  is  not  for  us  to  determine.  We 
hardly  need  to  say  that  we  have  generally  preferred 
our  own  plan  for  us.  And  there  can  be  little  room  to 
doubt  that  with  reasonable  modifications  it  is  much 
better  adapted  to  most  of  our  work  than  the  English 
plan.  But  this  is  of  no  account;  our  general  policy 
is  no  doubt  established,  and  will  be  maintained. 

It  should  be  said,  however,  in  passing,  that  the 
difficulty  in  making  the  appointments  in  England  is 
not  so  great  as  here.  They  have  the  "Children's 
Fund"  to  equalize  the  cost  of  supporting  large  fam- 
ilies, while  here  we  have  nothing  of  the  sort.  There, 
the  only  question  is,  Is  he  the  man  for  the  place  ? 
Here,  we  have  to  ask,  What  is  the  size  of  his  family? 
How  many  children  has  he?  There,  a  rich  society 
having  a  childless  pastor,  supports  just  as  many  chil- 
dren as  it  would  if  its  parsonage  was  crowded  with 
them.  Then  there  are  other  differences  which  our 
limits  forbid  us  to  state. 

BENEVOLENCE  OF  THE  WESLEYANS. 

One  of  the  marked  features  of  original  Methodism 
was  its  benevolence.  It  began  by  the  sacrifice  of 
every  personal  comfort  for  the  relief  and  elevation  of 
others.  It  required  of  its  followers  industry  to  get 
all  they  could  honestly,  economy  to  save  all,  and  lib- 
erality to  give  all — great  principles  which  its  honored 
founder   inculcated   and   practiced  to  the  last,  dying 


CHUR  CH  ECONOMY.  233 

worth  less  than  ten  pounds,  though  he  had  acquired 
and  disbursed  many  thousands. 

The  first  movements  of  Methodism  involved  ex- 
penses in  seeking-  protection  against  mobs,  in  con- 
structing chapels  for  public  worship,  in  releasing 
local  preachers  from  small  debts  which  prevented 
their  entering  the  ministry,  and  in  meeting  the  ex- 
penses of  preachers.  Hence,  in  1849,  it  was  sug- 
gested that  yearly  collections  should  be  taken  to  meet 
these  and  kindred  expenses,  which  were  denominated 

THE    CONTINGENT   FUND. 

In  1856,  its  field  of  operations  was  extended,  and 
its  name  changed  to  the  "Home  Mission  and  Con- 
tingent Fund."  Since  then  it  has  pushed  the  home 
missionary  work  among  the  poor  and  neglected  with 
considerable  energy  and  success,  having  secured  64 
parsonages  and  144  chapels,  accommodating  60,115 
persons.  Its  collections  last  year  were  nearly  $126,- 
000.  The  affairs  of  this  fund  are  managed  by  a  com- 
mittee of  ministers  and  laymen  annually  appointed 
by  the  conference,  and  its  advantages  are  various  and 
wide-spread,  reaching  all  classes  of  contingent  neces- 
sities, such  as  special  losses,  sickness  of  ministers, 
etc.,  not  provided  for  by  other  arrangements. 

THE    CHAPEL    FUND 

originated  in  the  double  necessity  of  aiding  poor 
societies  in  the  erection  of  chapels,  and  restraining 
them  from  going  into  imprudent  and  hazardous  en- 
terprises. After  suffering  much  embarrassment  and 
mortification  from  bad  investments  and  worse  debts, 
the    conference,    in    1775,    enacted    that    no    chapel 

20 


234  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

should  be  built  unless  first  proposed  to  the  con- 
ference. In  1790,  chapel-building  committees  were 
appointed  for  both  England  and  Ireland;  but  this 
did  not  remedy  the  evil.  In  18 17,  the  building  com- 
mittee was  reconstructed,  but  without  the  desirable 
effect.  The  next  year  the  Chapel  Fund  was  estab- 
lished, and  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  committee  com- 
posed of  fifteen  ministers  and  fifteen  laymen,  with 
full  power  to  receive  all  collections  and  appropriate 
them.  In  1854,  the  arrangement  was  again  revised, 
and  every  thing  relating  to  chapels  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  a  large  committee  to  be  appointed  annually 
by  the  conference,  and  to  consist  of  an  equal  number 
of  laymen  and  ministers,  and  Rev.  William  Kelk  was 
set  apart  to  act  as  its  secretary  and  look  after  the 
business.  This  brought  relief  and  prosperity.  In 
1866,  further  modifications  were  made,  placing  the 
business  in  the  hands  of  thirty  ministers  and  thirty 
laymen,  the  latter  being  nominated  by  the  "Com- 
mittee of  Review  of  Chapel  Affairs,"  connected  with 
whom  are  two  clerical  secretaries,  who  supervise  ev- 
ery interest  involved.  The  result,  in  part,  may  be 
inferred  from  the  facts  that  within  the  last  twenty 
years,  while  the  income  of  the  fund  has  amounted 
to  only  about  $560,000,  the  money  actually  contrib- 
uted toward  the  removal  of  debts  and  the  cost  of 
new  erections  has  reached  the  magnificent  sum  of 
$19,576,000,  including  #5,592,830  of  old  debts  paid. 
The  report  to  the  conference  in  1874  shows  receipts 
for  the  last  year  amounting  to  $44,855,  debts  re- 
duced $119,130,  and  sanction  given  to  the  erection 
of  129  chapels  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $1,074,775, 
and  21  schools  at  a  cost  of  $57,995. 


CHURCH  ECONOMY.  235 

Though  we  long  followed  our  English  brethren 
afar  off  in  this  respect,  we  can  but  admire  their  per- 
severance. Feeling  the  embarrassments  that  orig- 
inally moved  them,  some  of  our  conferences  took 
initiatory  action  on  the  subject  many  years  ago, 
which  culminated,  in  1864,  in  the  organization  of 
our  " Church  Extension  Society,"  whose  proceedings 
will  be  noticed  in  their  proper  place. 

THE    PREACHERS'    AUXILIARY    FUND. 

This  was  established  in  some  sort  to  aid  poor 
and  sick  preachers  and  the  widows  and  children  of 
preachers,  in  1763,  and  each  preacher  was  expected 
to  contribute  ten  shillings  yearly  to  its  treasury. 
After  passing  through  various  changes  in  name  and 
policy,  though  its  objects  remain  the  same,  it  is 
now  entitled  the  "  Worn-out  Ministers'  and  Minis- 
ters' Widows'  Fund,"  and  is  rendered  successful  by 
reason  of  the  services  of  a  secretary,  who  devotes  his 
whole  time  to  its  interests.  So  popular  a  cause  as 
this  even  requires  special  advocacy  to  command  any 
thing  like  the  support  it  deserves".  Its  collections 
the  last  year  amounted  to  some  $66,000. 

They  have  also  a  ministers'  "Sustentation  Soci- 
ety," providing  for  its  members  when  superannuated 
or  supernumerary,  and  their  wives  in  widowhood. 
It  had  a  grant  from  the  book-room  last  year — 
£3,000  (nearly  $15,000) — and  reported  assets  of 
about  $1,211,000.  Its  annuitants  number  288 
preachers  and  378  widows.  This,  however,  is  not 
strictly  a  benevolent  institution  so  much  as  a  pro- 
tective arrangement  for  those  who  are  willing  to  pay 
for  its  benefits. 


236  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

THE    CHILDREN'S    FUND. 

This  was  instituted  in  the  year  18 19,  to  relieve 
an  embarrassment  which  had  been  long  realized. 
Till  then  the  several  circuits  had  to  pay  a  certain 
allowance  for  each  of  their  preachers'  children. 
Hence,  men  with  large  families  were  often  objected  to 
purely  on  financial  grounds,  and  were  embarrassed 
themselves  at  the  thought  of  being  burdensome  to  a 
kind  but  poor  people;  and  not  unfrequently  these 
evils  were  rather  aggravated  by  the  fact  that  a  rich 
neighboring  circuit  was  enjoying  the  services  of 
preachers  who  had  less  children,  perhaps  none  at  all. 

To  remedy  these  difficulties  and  equalize  the  ex- 
pense of  supporting  the  children  of  the  preachers 
among  the  circuits,  the  district  meetings  entered  into 
an  arrangement  to  require  each  circuit  to  pay  its 
proportion  of  the  allowance  to  all  the  children  in  the 
conference,  according  to  the  numbers  in  society  and 
their  financial  ability.  This  measure  met  with  gen- 
eral favor,  both  among  the  preachers  and  the  people. 
The  operation  of  it  is  this:  The  rich  circuits,  having 
less  children  among  them  to  support  than  is  their 
equitable  proportion,  pay  the  claims  of  their  preach- 
ers for  such  as  they  have,  and  pay  over  the  balance 
to  the  treasurer  of  the  "  Children's  Fund,"  while  the 
poor  circuits,  having  more  preachers'  children  to  sup- 
port than  properly  belong  to  them,  draw  upon  the 
"Children's  Fund"  for  the  amount  of  their  claims. 

Thus  all  the  preachers'  children  are  provided  for; 
and,  that  there  may  be  no  failure  in  the  operation 
of  the  plan,  each  circuit  is  required  to  pay  its  annual 
apportionment  to  the  fund  before  it  can  receive  any 


CHURCH  ECONOMY.  237 

assistance,    whatever    its    necessities.      The    amount 
collected  for  this  fund  last  year  was  $97,595. 

The  liberality  of  the  Wesleyans  becomes  still 
more  impressive  when  we  look  at  their  educational 
enterprises,  to  which  we  have  already  referred;  but 
the  climax  of  their  benevolence  is  seen  in  connection 
with  their 

MISSIONARY    OPERATIONS. 

These  are  managed  by  a  large  and  strong  com- 
mittee of  ministers  and  laymen,  selected  from  all  the 
districts,  and  supervised  by  two  ministerial  secreta- 
ries, who  give  their  time  exclusively  to  the  work. 
We  refer  now  to  foreign  missions,  embracing  Europe, 
India,  China,  South  and  West  Africa,  and  the  West 
Indies,  tabulated  as  follows: 

Central  Stations,  called  Circuit?,*         .         .         .  908 

Chapels  and  other  preaching-places,       .          .  6,963 

Ministers  and  Assistant  Missionaries,           .          .  881 

Other  paid  Agents,  as  Catechists,  Teachers,  etc.,  3,506 

Unpaid  Agents,  as  Sunday-school  Teachers,  etc.,  25,013 

Full  and  accredited  Church  members,   .          .  I73>55: 

On  Trial  for  Church  membership,       .          .          .  16,518 

Scholars, 261,983 

Printing  Establishments,      .....  4 

The  home  receipts  for  this  work  during  the  last 
year,  reported  at  the  annual  meeting  held  May  4, 
1874,  were  $610,460;  foreign  receipts  from  affiliated 
conferences,   $229,510,   making  a  total   of  $839,970. 

Add  to  this  imperfect  inventory  other  benevo- 
lences that  might  be  named,  and  remember  that 
all  this  is  done  after  supporting  the  Established 
Church  (a  burden,  thank  God,  from  which  we  are 
exempt),  and  giving  freely  to  maintain  their  home 
institutions,   the  liberality  of  the  Wesleyan  brethren 


238  HIS  TORY  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

can  hardly  fail  to  command  our  admiration.  If  Amer- 
ican Methodists  can  bring  themselves  to  " abound" 
equally  in  this  grace,  according  to  their  better  cir- 
cumstances, no  interests  among  us  will  suffer  for  the 
want  of  funds.  The  example  is  worthy  of  imitation, 
and  to  find  it  in  the  family  from  which  we  sprung, 
and  to  which  we  cleave  with  a  filial  fraternity,  is 
the  next  best  thing  to  possessing  it  ourselves. 

Having  compassed  the  ground  covered  by  our 
plan,  a  few  remarks  in  relation  to  the  various  meas- 
ures referred  to  in  the  foregoing  pages  will  close  this 
part  of  our  book. 

The  first  is,  that  all  these  arrangements,  particu- 
larly the  funds,  have  been  providentially  demanded. 
Nothing  has  been  devised  before  its  time,  and  nothing 
really  matured  for  many  years  after  its  first  dis- 
cussion. This  circumstance  ought  to  encourage  the 
younger  members  of  the  Wesleyan  family  to  "try 
again,"  and  never  to  cease  discussing  important  prac- 
tical questions  till  they  shall  have  hit  upon  the  right 
plan,  and  see  it  in  successful  operation. 

Another  thought,  which  might  not  occur  to  the 
reader  from  what  has  been  said,  is,  that  these  several 
plans  and  measures,  though  providentially  suggested, 
were  the  result  of  profound  study,  not  merely  during 
the  sessions  of  the  conference.  The  conference 
seemed  generally  to  be  impressed  that  the  necessary 
brevity  of  their  sessions,  and  other  circumstances, 
would  not  admit  of  the  needful  investigation.  There- 
fore, when  they  found  themselves  approaching  the 
crisis,  when  something  must  be  done,  they  appointed 
large  committees,  embracing  the  wisdom  of  the  min- 
istry   and    the    laity,    and    designated    the    time    and 


CHURCH  ECONOMY. 


239 


place  of  their  meeting.  In  these  committees  the  mat- 
ter was  deliberately  dissected  limb  by  limb,  every 
weakness  and  impracticability  detected,  and  the 
whole  consolidated  and  adapted  to  the  Wesleyan 
system,  so  that,  if  approved  by  the  conference,  it 
might  become  a  part  of  that  system,  and  seem  indis- 
pensable to  its  healthful  operation.  But  another  ad- 
vantage of  this  course  was,  the  plan,  when  it  came 
out,  was  as  much  the  people  s  as  the  preachers',  and 
was,  in  a  great  degree,  to  be  managed  by  them. 
This  gave  it  popularity,  and  secured  its  success. 

To  the  reader  of  this  sketch,  these  regulations 
may  seem  complicated.  This  is  their  first  appear- 
ance to  a  stranger.  But  if  one  will  examine  them 
more  closely,  he  will  find  them  complicated,  indeed, 
yet  simple ;  and  taken  together,  the  most  finished  and 
effective  scheme  of  raising  money  extant.  How  else 
could  such  an  interest  be  kept  up,  and  such  vast 
amounts  of  money  be  raised  in  a  society  embracing 
few  of  the  wealthy,  and  composed  chiefly  of  the 
poorer  classes,  many  of  whom  are  objects  of  charity 
themselves,  and  all  of  whom  are  exorbitantly  taxed 
to  support  the  extravagance  of  the  Episcopal 
Church — taxed  for  every  thing,  not  only  for  what 
they  eat  and  drink  and  wear,  but  for  the  very  light 
of  heaven  that  shines  upon  them,  and  often  oppressed 
in  their  wages,  too,  and  compelled  to  work  long  and 
hard  for  what  will  scarcely  procure  them  the  coarsest 
fare?  Should  their  children  imitate  the  parent  in  this 
respect,  Methodism  would  soon  fill  the  whole  earth. 


C-^e? 


*£ 


Part  Second. 
HISTORY  OF  METHODISM  IN  AMERICA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    SETTLEMENT    OF    THE    COUNTRY PROVIDENTIAL    PREP- 
ARATION  FOR  THE   INTRODUCTION   OF   METHOD- 
ISM  ITS   ORIGIN  AND   EARLY  PROGRESS. 

AMERICA  was  discovered  by  Columbus  in  1492. 
The  first  settlement  within  the  present  territory 
of  the  United  States  was  made  by  the  Spaniards  in 
Florida,  and  called  St.  Augustine,  in  honor  of  a 
Romish  Saint  upon  whose  day  they  landed.  This 
occurred  September  7,  1565.  May  13,  1607,  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh  settled  a  colony  at  Jamestown,  Vir- 
ginia, on  the  James  River,  both  taking  their  name 
from  James  I,  of  England,  under  whose  patronage 
the  enterprise  was  executed.  The  religion  of  the 
Church  of  England  was  established  and  maintained 
here  until  the  country  became  independent.  The 
next  settlement  was  formed  by  the  "Pilgrims"  at 
Plymouth,  Massachusetts,  December  11,  1620. 
' '  They  were  a  company  of  bold,  independent,  relig- 
ious adventurers,  who  fled  from  persecution  in  the 
Old  to  seek  an  asylum  in  the  New  World."  They 
adopted   Congregationalism    and   Calvinism,    both  of 


242  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

which  formed  an  essential  part  of  the  government 
for  many  years.  And  it  was  about  as  intolerant  as 
the  old  government  from  which  they  fled.  Three 
years  later,  Portsmouth  and  Dover,  now  leading 
towns  in  New  Hampshire,  were  settled  by  parties 
holding  the  principles  of  the  Plymouth  Colony. 

In  1634,  Mr.  Calvert  settled  a  colony  in  Mary- 
land, on  the  St.  Mary's  River,  making  religion  free, 
though  he  was  a  Catholic.  This  was  the  first  example 
of  the  kind  on  the  continent.  Next  came  Rhode 
Island,  settled  by  Roger  Williams,  who,  with  five 
others,  fled  from  the  Massachusetts  colony  into  the 
wilderness,  to  avoid  religious  persecution,  and  mak- 
ing a  stand,  he  called  the  place  Providence,  because 
he  "desired  it  might  be  for  shelter  for  persons  dis- 
tressed in  conscience."  This  was  in  1636,  and  was 
the  beginning  of  the  settlement  of  Rhode  Island. 

Connecticut  was  first  settled  in  1660,  by  emi- 
grants from  Massachusetts,  taking  the  religion  of  the 
Pilgrims  with  them,  which  they  long  retained, 
though  with  less  intolerance  than  was  manifested 
by  their  fathers.  Hudson  entered  the  river  now 
bearing  his  name,  in  1609.  Six  years  later  the 
Dutch  effected  a  settlement  on  Manhattan  Island, 
now  Xew  York,  and  soon  after,  another  at  Albany. 
Trade  and  money-making  were  the  leading  motives 
of  the  enterprise;  but  still  the  colonists  brought  the 
Protestant  Calvinistic  institutions  of  Holland  with 
them,  and  legislated  in  their  interest.  Subsequently, 
however,  England  gained  the  ascendency,  when  the 
Church  of  England  took  precedence  of  all  other  re- 
ligions, and  held   it  till  the  war    of   the   Revolution. 

In    1 63 1,    the   State   of   Delaware  was  settled   by 


PROVIDENTIAL  PREPARATION.  243 

the  Hollanders,  with  the  same  religious  principles 
which  prevailed  in  New  York.  New  Jersey  assumed 
colonial  existence  in  1664,  and  was  made  up  of  a 
mixture  of  English,  Dutch,  and  Swedes,  allowing  re- 
ligious liberty  to  all  parties.  North  Carolina  made  a 
feeble  start  in  1660,  by  people  from  New  England  and 
Virginia;  and  South  Carolina  in  1670,  granting  re- 
ligious liberty  to  the  colonists.  Pennsylvania  was  first 
chiefly  settled  by  Quakers  from  West  Jersey.  In  1682 
William  Penn  landed  at  the  point  now  known  as 
Philadelphia,  and  commenced  his  honorable  negotia- 
tions with  the  Indians  under  the  branches  of  a  tow- 
ering elm.  His  right  to  the  soil  was  secured  by  a 
double  purchase,  first  from  his  king,  and  then  from 
the  natives,  and  was  properly  named  Pennsylvania 
(Penn's  Woods),  and  Philadelphia,  or  brotherly  love, 
was  a  fit  designation  for  its  chief  city,  in  view  of 
his  humane  conduct  to  all  concerned. 

The  colony  of  Georgia  was  established,  as  we 
have  seen,  by  General  Oglethorpe,  and  was  composed 
principally  of  members  of  the  Church  of  England. 
This  occurred  in  1733,  and  three  years  after  John  and 
Charles  Wesley  came  out  by  invitation  to  look  par- 
ticularly after  the  religious  interests  of  the  Cherokee 
Indians,  ^but  meeting  with  unexpected  difficulties, 
soon  returned  to  England  to*  bless  the  New  World 
in  a  way  which  they  did  not  then  understand. 

We  have  given  these  facts  that  our  young  read- 
ers may  see  of  what  a  heterogeneous  mass  of  conflict- 
ing tongues  and  peoples  this  nation  was  originally 
composed.  Religiously,  Calvinism  and  Ecclesiasti- 
cism  were  the  two  predominant  elements,  and  the 
natural   opponents   of  Methodism.      But    it   was   for- 


244  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM, 

tunate  that  these  colonies  started  by  different  nations, 
had  all  come  under  the  British  Government,  and 
were  working  into  the  use  of  the  English  language. 

PREPARATION    FOR   THE    WORK. 

There  is  another  aspect  of  the  subject  worthy 
of  consideration;  namely,  the  providential  prepara- 
tion of  men  for  the  work  to  be  done.  The  Wesleys 
were  favorably  born  and  educated  like  thousands 
of  others;  were  led  to  read  certain  books,  and  hear 
and  see  certain  things  in  common  with  their  asso- 
ciates, but  were  religiously  impressed  by  them,  and 
moved  to  seek  after  God  in  a  manner  and  to  an  extent 
that  others  were  not.  By  this  means  they  struck  a 
new  current,  little  talked  of  and  less  understood,  and 
were  borne  along  into  joyous  fellowship  with  God, 
and  into  complete  sympathy  with  his  desire  for  the 
elevation,  holiness,  and  happiness  of  mankind.  Un- 
der this  impulse  they  began  to  seek  and  to  save  the 
lost,  giving  special  attention,  in  imitation  of  their 
Divine  Master,  to  the  most  needy  and  neglected. 
They  had  no  purpose  but  to  perform  their  present 
duty, — please  God  and  "do  good  to  men." 

Soon  after,  something  very  similar  occurred  in 
Ireland.  Thomas  Williams,  having  become  imbued 
with  their  spirit,  was  moved,  not  sent  by  man,  to 
cross  the  channel  and  tell  the  people  of  Dublin  what 
God  had  done  for  his  soul.  Many  believed  and 
demonstrated  the  truth  of  his  doctrine  by  actual 
experiment.  Mr.  Wesley,  hearing  of  these  wonder- 
ful results,  first  visited  that  city  in  the  Summer  of 
1747,  and  following  the  demands  of  the  cause,  he 
afterward  spent  about  six  full  years  in  that  country, 


PROVIDENTIAL  PREPARATION.  245 

crossing  the  channel  many  times;  but  still  without 
any  plan  of  establishing  a  new  Church,  or  any  ex- 
pectation of  benefiting  the  rest  of  mankind  by  his 
labors  there.  Yet  God  raised  up  the  men  on  that 
very  spot  who  actually  carried  the  Gospel  to  the  four 
quarters  of  the  globe ;  besides  multitudes  of  others  who 
became  the  most  prominent  in  the  home  work:  such 
as  Henry  Moore,  Adam  Clarke,  and  a  host  of  others. 
As  we  have  seen,  that  simple  sowing  produced  the 
class-leader  and  preacher  in  the  person  of  a  banished 
convict  who  first  introduced  the  Gospel  to  Australia. 
Methodism  found  him  in  prison,  condemned  to  death ; 
had  him  converted,  his  punishment  commuted,  and 
put  a  Bible  in  his  hand  as  he  left  the  English  shores 
to  return  no  more. 

ORIGIN    OF    METHODISM    IN    AMERICA. 

We  have  now  to  record  another  singular  result 
of  those  early  labors.  In  the  Summer  of  1760,  a 
group  of  Irish  emigrants  landed  in  New  York,  among 
whom  were  a  number  of  Methodists,  one  a  local 
preacher  by  the  name  of  Philip  Embury.  They 
seem  to  have  been  more  connected  by  the  ties  of 
blood  and  ambition  to  improve  their  temporal  inter- 
ests than  by  religious  sympathies  or  purposes. 
Embury  was  about  thirty  years  old,  honest,  indus- 
trious, well  informed,  but  timid,  and  a  carpenter  by 
trade.  Though  he  had  been  converted,  had  seen 
Mr.  Wesley,  and  exercised  a  few  years  as  a  class- 
leader  and  local  preacher  among  his  friends  and  neigh- 
bors at  home,  he  was  hardly  the  man  to  raise  the 
Methodist  standard  among  strangers  and  amid  the 
spiritual    darkness   and    death    that    reigned    in   New 


246  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

York  at  that  time.  The  population  of  the  city  was 
then  only  about  twenty  thousand,  and  every  little 
divergence  from  the  established  routine  attracted  at- 
tention. For  one  reason  or  another  the  new-comers 
did  not  let  their  light  shine,  and  relapsed  into  the 
spirit  and  customs  of  the  world,  making  no  consid- 
erable show  of  religion  for  some  six  years.  In  the 
mean  time,  others  arrived,  some  of  whom  made  no 
pretensions  to  piety,  and  contributed,  no  doubt,  to 
extinguish  what  little  devotion  remained.  But  Bar- 
bara Heck,  a  real  mother  in  Israel,  who  deprecated 
this  state  of  things,  finding  several  of  her  friends  en- 
gaged in  card-playing,  went  in  among  them,  threw 
the  cards  into  the  fire,  and  exhorted  them  to  return 
to  God.  And,  addressing  Mr.  Embury  then,  or 
soon  after,  she  said:  "And  you  must  preach  to  us, 
or  we  shall  all  go  to  hell  together,  and  God  will  re- 
quire our  blood  at  your  hands!"  When  he  objected 
that  he  had  no  house  or  congregation,  she  replied, 
in  the  true  spirit  of  Christian  enterprise:  "Preach  in 
your  own  house  first  and  to  our  company."  The 
duty  was  too  obvious,  and  the  appeal  too  earnest 
and  pungent  to  be  resisted,  and  he  yielded  to  impor- 
tunity and  preached  his  first  sermon  in  America  "in 
his  own  hired  house"  on  Barrack  Street,  now  Park 
Place,  to  a  congregation  of  five  persons,  whom  he  at 
once  formed  into  the  first  American  class.  From 
this  time  he  continued  to  preach  till  his  house  be- 
came too  small,  when  an  empty  room  was  secured 
near  the  Barracks,  in  ' '  the  most  infamous  street  in 
the  city."  Then,  as  is  usual  in  such  cases,  and  with 
such  religion,  God  worked.  Three  musicians  from 
the  Barracks  came  in  and  were  converted,  and  began 


PR  0  VIDENTIAL    PREPARA  TION. 


247 


to  exhort.  The  keeper  of  the  almshouse  was  also 
interested,  and  several  of  its  inmates  joined  the  little 
band.  Something  new  occurred  every  month  to 
cheer  the  praying  few  in  a  strange  land.  In  the 
Spring  of  1767  they  were  surprised  to  see  a  military 
officer  in  their  meeting.  What  could  he  want  there? 
was  a  question  that  naturally  occupied  all  minds. 
But  they  were  soon  relieved  by  his  singing  and  kneel- 
ing like  themselves.  It  was  Captain  Thomas  Webb 
of  the  Royal  Army,  Barrack-master  at  Albany,  a 
stanch  Methodist,  and  a  local  preacher  from  Eng- 
land— just  the  man  for  the  place  and  the  times — a 
shining  light,  of  whom  it  was  said  by  Asbury,  he  is 
"an  Israelite  indeed;"  by  Wesley,  "he  is  a  man  of 
fire;"  by  John  Adams,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  "he 
is  one  of  the  most  eloquent  men  I  ever  heard;"  and 
by  others,  "a  perfect  Whitefield  in  declamation" — 
' '  he  was  truly  a  Boanerges,  and  often  made  the  stout- 
hearted tremble." 

He,  of  course,  was  invited  to  preach  ;  and  did  so,  in 
military  costume,  laying  his  sword  on  the  table 
before  him.  This  was  a  novelty  that  could  but  at- 
tract a  crowd  too  large  for  the  place.  They,  there- 
fore, went  to  a  rigging-loft  on  William  Street,  sixty 
feet  by  eighteen,  which  would  not  accommodate  half 
the  people  who  came  three  times  a  week  to  hear 
these  strange  preachers,  one  a  carpenter,  and  the 
other  a  soldier.  This  suggested  a  meeting-house, 
which  the  good  Barbara  Heck  had  been  praying  for 
ever  since  she  brought  Embury  to  his  duty,  and 
had  "received  with  inexpressible  sweetness  and 
power  the  answer,  '  I,  the  Lord,  will  do  it.''  A 
simple   plan   was   prepared,    the   trustees   appointed, 


248  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Mr.  Embury  being  the  first,  as  he  had  been  the  first 
preacher  and  class-leader.  A  site  was  leased  on 
John  Street  in  1768,  and  purchased  two  years  after; 
and  the  people  generally  encouraged  the  enterprise, 
from  the  mayor  down  to  the  poorest  citizen.  The 
subscription  paper,  which  is  still  preserved,  contains 
the  names  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  persons.  Cap- 
tain Webb  stands  first  in  amount,  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars.  The  building  was  a  chapel,  not  a 
church,  sixty  feet  long  by  forty-two  wide,  and  had 
"a  fire-place  and  chimney"  to  avoid  the  law  and  not 
offend  the  English  Church.  Embury  superintended 
the  work,  and  made  the  pulpit  (still  in  possession  of 
the   Church)  with   his   own   hands,  and   October  30, 

1768,  dedicated  the  first  Methodist  chapel  in  America 
to  God,  before  it  was  finished,  trusting  in  Providence 
to  furnish  the  means  to  meet  the  bills.  The  house 
was  made  of  stone,  faced  with  plaster,  and  furnished, 
at  first,  with  seats  without  backs,  and  a  gallery  with- 
out breast-work  or  stairs,  which  was  reached  by  a 
ladder.  Nevertheless,  it  was  thronged  from  its  open- 
ing, though  called  "The  Wesley  Chapel,"  and  the 
first  in  the  world  that  took  the  name  of  the  founder 
of  Methodism,  and  thousands  gathered  around  it 
who  could  not  gain  admittance.  It  was  without 
vestry  or  class-room.  Mr.  Embury  continued  to 
supply  the  pulpit  and  look -after  every-thing.  In 
1770,  a  parsonage  was  erected  near  the  chapel,  and 
rudely  furnished  with  articles  donated  or  lent,  and 
became  the  resting-place  of  the  missionaries,  Pil- 
mour,    Boardman,   and    others.       In    the  mean  time, 

1769,  the  faithful  Embury  left  the  city  and  went  to 
Camden,  New  York,  with  some  of  his  associates,  and 


PROVIDENTIAL    PREPARATION.  249 

formed  the  first  Methodist  society  within  the  bounds 
of  the  Troy  Conference,  at  Ashgrove.  That  confer- 
ence now  numbers  264  preachers  and  34,608  mem- 
bers, and  preserves  the  remains  of  the  honored 
founder  of  American  Methodism  in  the  cemetery  at 
Cambridge,  to  which  they  were  lately  removed,  after 
slumbering  in  solitude  on  the  farm  of  a  friend  and 
in  the  little  grave-yard  at  Ashgrove  for  fifty-seven 
years. 

Thus  God  led  the  simple  carpenter  in  a  way  he 
knew  not,  and  made  him  the  honored  instrument  of 
starting  a  society  which  has  grown  to  be  the  largest 
Church  on  the  continent.  Old  John  Street  has  been 
the  birthplace  of  thousands,  and  still  remains,  a  mon- 
ument of  the  origin  of  Methodism  in  this  country, 
speaking  to  the  few  who  still  love  its  gates,  though 
almost  concealed  by  the  mammoth  warehouses  of 
commerce  which  surround  it. 

FURTHER  PARTICULARS  OF  CAPTAIN  WEBB. 

Captain  Webb  had  been  a  brave  soldier  for  his 
country,  and  bore  the  marks  of  battle  on  his  person. 
Having  lost  the  sight  of  one  eye,  he  wore  a  shade 
over  it ;  but  his  whole  appearance  indicated  a  kind 
heart  and  a  holy  purpose.  He  was  generous,  as  well 
as  pious,  usually  preached  without  remuneration, 
and,  besides  giving  the  largest  subscription  to  John 
Street  chapel,  loaned  the  trustees  fifteen  hundred 
dollars,  without  interest,  and  begged  for  them  one 
hundred  and  sixty  dollars  in  Philadelphia.  Being 
placed  on  the  retired  list,  with  the  pay  of  a  captain, 
in  view  of  his  heroic  service,  he  gave  himself  up  to 
the  itinerant  work,   and  went  abroad  preaching  and 


2  5  O  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  ATE  THODISM. 

forming  societies  wherever  he  could.  Twenty-four 
were  converted  under  his  preaching  at  Jamaica,  and 
became  the  first  fruits  of  Methodism  on  Long  Island. 
He  traveled  through  New  Jersey,  and  formed  a  class 
at  Burlington,  making  Joseph  Toy  its  leader,  who 
afterward  became  a  teacher  and  preacher.  He  formed 
the  first  class  in  Philadelphia  in  1768,  while  preach- 
ing in  a  sail-loft,  and  afterward  participated  in  pro- 
curing the  first,  the  St.  George's  Methodist  Church, 
in  that  city,  which  was  established  in  1770.  In  the 
mean  time,  he  traversed  Delaware  and  Maryland,  vis- 
iting Wilmington,  Baltimore,  and  other  places,  sow- 
ing the  seed  which  has  yielded  so  abundantly  since. 
Visiting  England,  he  reported  what  the  Lord  was 
doing  in  this  far-off  land,  plead  for  missionaries,  and 
returned  with  Shadford  and  Rankin  in  1773.  Con- 
tinuing his  labors  here  until  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war  of  the  Revolution,  he  returned  to  England,  and 
continued  faithful  and  efficient  until  honorably  dis- 
charged in  a  good  old  age. 

Thus  we  see  the  Providence  of  God  again.  Em- 
bury, converted  in  Ireland,  came  to  this  country  as 
a  carpenter;  and  Webb,  converted  at  Bristol,  Eng- 
land, under  Mr.  Wesley's  ministry  in  1765,  came 
out  as  a  soldier,  and  together  they  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  a  spiritual  superstructure  in  this  New  World 
that  was  to  outstrip  its  European  model,  and  send 
its  influence  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  Where  the 
Wesleys  and  Whitefield  had  failed  of  making  any 
organic  stand,  or  erecting  any  lasting  spiritual  me- 
morial of  their  labors,  these  simple  men  planted  a 
vine  which  has  run  out  over  the  surrounding  walls,  and 
sent  its  life-giving  fruit  to  millions  of  perishing  sinners. 


PROVIDENTIAL    PREPARATION.  25  I 

OTHER    DEVELOPMENTS. 

About  this  time,  probably  in  1764,  Robert  Straw- 
bridge,  another  Irish  Methodist  local  preacher,  ar- 
rived in  this  country  with  his  young  wife,  and  settled 
in  Frederick  County,  Maryland.  He  had  little  care 
for  the  world,  hardly  enough  to  get  a  living,  but  was 
intensely  religious.  He  commenced  preaching  at 
once  in  his  own  house,  and  formed  a  class,  and  soon 
built  a  log  chapel  at  Sam's  Creek,  twenty-two  feet 
square,  but  without  a  floor,  door,  or  windows.  Still 
the  society  flourished,  and  sent  out  several  preachers, 
who  did  good  service.  He  traveled  about,  preaching 
in  many  places,  formed  the  first  Methodist  society  in 
Baltimore  County,  was  the  means  of  Richard  Owen's 
conversion,  who  was  the  first  native  Methodist 
preacher  in  the  country,  and  did  much  good,  preach- 
ing without  "fee  or  reward,  and,  durinsr  the  last  two 
years  of  his  life,  he  gave  his-whole  time  to  the  work." 
Strawbridge  led  out  other  preachers  also,  and  achieved 
grand  results;  but  when  the  first  missionaries  ap- 
peared and  put  the  work  under  circuit  arrangements, 
making  him  subordinate,  and  especially  restraining 
him  from  administering  the  sacraments  as  he  had 
done,  his  Irish  spirit  rebelled,  and  he  seemed  to 
settle  down  about  home,  preaching  to  two  little  soci- 
eties. He  did  not  enjoy  Asbury's  domination,  and 
Asbury  did  not  highly  esteem  him.  He  was  finally 
given  the  free  use  of  a  farm  near  Baltimore,  by  a 
gentleman  who  knew  his  poverty,  and  died  in  the 
Lord  in  1781.  It  is  impossible  for  some  high-minded, 
independent,  devout  men,  to  enjoy  the  military  dis- 
cipline  of  the  Methodist  itinerancy.     They  feel  hu- 


252  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  THODISM. 

miliated  to  be  dancing  attendance  upon  men  inferior 
to  themselves,  and  to  be  subject  to  their  conceit  or 
whims,  as  they  sometimes  are.  The  Church  has  lost 
men  of  this  class,  who  might  have  been  saved,  per- 
haps, by  a  little  more  brotherly  consideration  on 
the  part  of  the  rulers.  Strawbridge  was  admired 
by  Owen,  who  preached  his  funeral  sermon  and 
many  others ;  but  Asbury  could  not  brook  his 
insubordination. 

Thus,  it  appears  that  Methodism  commenced  its 
career  in  this  country  in  two  places  about  the  same 
time — one  in  the  City  of  New  York,  and  the  other 
in  the  woods  of  Maryland — and  by  two  Irishmen, 
uneducated  local  preachers.  Which  spoke  first,  it  is 
hardly  possible  to  determine,  though  the  argument 
seems  to  be  in  favor  of  Embury.  And  as  this  has 
been  the  general  understanding  for  so  long  a  time,  it 
would  seem  almost  a  pity  to  have  it  disturbed.  But 
whether  the  sisters  may  not  justly  claim  that  Bar- 
bara Heck  takes  precedence  of  both  these  honored 
worthies,  admits  of  little  doubt.  So  far  as  we  now 
see,  Embury  would  have  remained  in  his  unhappy 
obscurity  if  she  had  not  spurred  him  up  to  duty. 
And  we  doubt  some  whether  John  Street  Chapel 
would  have  become  a  fact  when  it  did  without  her 
heroism.  However,  to  God  be  all  the  glory,  whose 
they  were,  and  whom  they  served.  (Bangs's  His., 
Vol.  I,  pp.   52-58.) 

OTHER    IRREGULAR    HELPERS. 

In  1769,  Robert  Williams  arrived  in  New  York 
with  a  friend  by  the  name  of  Ashton,  who,  know- 
ing  his   poverty,    paid    his   passage.       Williams   was 


PROVIDENTIAL    PREPARATION.  253 

evidently  a  very  zealous  Christian.  Hearing  of  the 
work  in  New  York,  he  was  at  once  on  fire  to  come 
over,  went  to  Mr.  Wesley  to  get  license  to  preach, 
persuaded  Ashton  to  come  with  him,  and  taking  his 
saddle-bags  on  his  arm,  walked  to  the  ship  with  a 
loaf  of  bread  and  a  bottle  of  milk  to  sustain  him. 
He  commenced  his  work  in  the  John  Street  Chapel, 
where,  two  years  later,  he  was  stationed.  From 
there  he  traveled  south,  laboring  with  Strawbridge 
and  others,  and  did  a  good  work.  Jesse  Lee  was 
one  of  his  converts  in  Virginia.  He  is  said  to  have 
been  "the  first  Methodist  minister  in  America  that 
published  a  book,  the  first  that  married,  the  first  that 
located,  and  the  first  that  died."  Saving  sinners 
was  his  aim  in  every  place,  and  by  all  means.  He 
preached,  visited,  published  and  sold  books,  and 
died.  Though  his  grave  is  unknown,  his  memory 
is  precious. 

John  King  was  another  providential  interloper 
from  London,  who  arrived  in  1769,  and  opened  his 
mission  without  license  in  the  Potter's  Field  of  Phil- 
adelphia, the  little  society  there  being  afraid  of  him. 
But  he  felt  that  he  must  preach,  and  he  did  so,  and 
demonstrated  his  call  of  God,  and  at  last  obtained  a 
license,  united  with  the  first  missionaries  sent  out  by 
Wesley,  and  was  a  member  of  the  first  conference  in 
1773.  He  preached  in  the  open  air  in  Baltimore, 
traversed  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  Vir- 
ginia, and  North  Carolina,  and  achieved  much  good. 
Thus  Methodism  was  unofficially  planted  and  well 
started  on  this  continent,  without  the  direct  order  or 
even  knowledge  of  Mr.  Wesley,  by  one  woman  and 
a   few    local    preachers,    regular   and    irregular,    who 


254  HIST  OR  Y  OF  METHODISM. 

were  drawn  to  the  New  World  by  other  than  mis- 
sionary motives,  showing  that  God  led  the  move- 
ment here  as  in  Europe,  but  still  by  Wesleyan 
agencies. 

These  supplies,  however,  created  new  necessities, 
and  Air.  Wesley,  the  acknowledged  leader  of  Meth- 
odism, was  urged  by  various  parties,  lay  and  cleri- 
cal, to  send  out  men  whose  whole  time  could  be  de- 
voted to  the  work.  Delighted  with  such  strange  in- 
telligence from  New  York,  he  laid  the  matter  before 
his  conference,  August  3,  1769,  and  called  for  volun- 
teers. Richard  Boardman  and  Joseph  Pilmoor,  after 
several  hours'  delay,  and  a  touching  sermon  by  Wes- 
ley, responded,  and  were  sent.  A  collection  was 
taken  on  the  spot  to  pay  their  expenses  to  the  amount 
of  one  hundred  dollars,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  or  more  toward  the  debt  on  the  John-street 
Chapel,  a  noble  one,  considering  the  extreme  poverty 
of  the  preachers,  and  that  their  connectional  debts 
amounted  to  nearly  thirty  thousand  dollars,  and 
nothing  in  the  treasury.  Mr.  Boardman  was  a  man 
of  God  throughout,  and  it  was  said  of  him  at  his 
funeral  thirteen  years  after,  "with  eloquence  divine 
he  preached  the  Word,"  and  "devils  trembled  when 
for  Christ  he  fought." 

Pilmoor  was  also  a  young  man  of  good  parts, 
converted  under  Wesley's  preaching  at  the  age  of 
sixteen,  and  educated  at  Kingswood  school.  A 
rough  passage  of  nine  weeks  brought  them  to  Phil- 
adelphia, happy  in  God,  when  they  met  Captain 
Webb  and  found  a  society  of  about  one  hundred 
members.  Pilmoor  opened  his  mission  from  the  steps 
of*  the  State-house,  and  from  thence  he  went  to  the 


PROVIDENTIAL  PREPARATION.  255 

race  course,  where  he  preached  to  four  or  five  thou- 
sand people.  Boardman  also  preached  and  started 
for  New  York,  giving  the  soldiers  at  Trenton  a  mov- 
ing sermon  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Ten  days 
after,  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Wesley  that  he  had  about 
seventeen  hundred  hearers  at  the  chapel,  one-third  of 
whom  were  inside  and  the  others  around  the  house. 
"The  number  of  blacks  that  attend  the  preachings," 
he  said  "affects  me  much."  Thus  early,  Methodism 
took  an  interest  in  this  abused  race.  He  preached 
some  four  times  a  week,  and  received  his  board,  and 
fifteen  dollars  per  quarter  to  meet  other  expenses. 

But  he  did  not  confine  himself  to  New  York. 
He  alternated  with  Pilmoor,  spending  about  half  the 
time  in  Philadelphia,  pushing  out  in  all  directions,  as 
far  south  as  Baltimore,  and  as  far  east  as  Providence 
and  Boston. 

The  letters  of  these  two  first  missionaries  show 
that  they  lived  in  God,  and  rejoiced  in  the  self-sac- 
rificing work  they  had  undertaken.  The  terrible 
gales  they  encountered  on  their  nine  weeks'  voyage, 
when  they  were  expecting  to  perish  in  the  great 
deep,  did  not  shake  their  confidence;  they  were 
ready  to  die.  And  now,  in  the  same  blessed  hope, 
they  preached  and  worked,  weeping  over  the  multi- 
tudes that  thronged  their  path.  The  city  contained 
the  ablest  English  and  Dutch  ministers  of  the  age, 
and  yet  their  more  pious  parishioners  would  run  after 
these  half  educated  young  men,  in  spite  of  the  re- 
monstrances of  their  pastors.  Nobody  drew  such 
crowds,  except  Whitefield,  who  was  on  the  ocean 
with  them  for  the  last  time,  in  another  vessel,  com- 
ing  to  his  burial.     They,  like   him,  were  filled  with 


256  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

the  spirit  that  led  Jesus  to  die  for  the  race,  and 
sought  to  save  sinners  to  the  uttermost  in  season  and 
out  of  season.  This  was  the  secret  of  their  power, 
and  is  to-day  an  indispensable  endowment  for  the 
highest  success  in  the  work  of  God.  Whitefield 
preached  and  hurried  off,  leaving  others  to  gather  the 
fruit  of  his  labors;  they  preached  and  organized  their 
followers  into  classes  and  societies,  with  which  a 
mighty  host  have  since  become  associated. 

OTHER    MISSIONARIES    SENT. 

The  American  field  opening  up  so  promisingly, 
Mr.  Wesley  was  induced  to  send  forth  other  laborers. 
Asking  the  question,  in  his  conference,  in  177 1,  Who 
are  willing  to  go  to  America?  five  responded,  but 
only  two  could  be  spared;  Francis  Asburyand  Richard 
Wright  were  accepted  and  sent,  both  of  whom  landed 
in  Philadelphia,  October  17,  177 1.  Asbury  was  twenty- 
six  years  old,  the  only  living  child  of  his  parents.  At 
the  age  of  thirteen  he  was  put  to  a  trade,  which  ex- 
hausted six  years.  In  the  mean  time  he  was  awak- 
ened, sought  the  Methodists,  was  pleased  with  them, 
obtained  religion,  and  began  to  hold  meetings  at  sev- 
enteen. Five  years  later  he  entered  the  itinerant 
work.  Of  course  he  had  but  little  opportunity  for 
education ;  but  he  was  industrious,  loved  to  read,  and 
stored  up  most  useful  knowledge.  In  a  word,  he 
was  just  the  man  to  take  charge  of  the  American 
work.  Bidding  adieu  to  his  friends,  he  went  to  Bris- 
tol to  embark,  without  money  or  outfit.  But  he 
says,  "The  Lord  soon  opened  the  hearts  of  friends, 
who  supplied  me  with  clothes  and  ten  pounds."  He 
had  two  blankets  and  slept  on  the  bare  floor  during 


PR  0  VIDENTIAL  PRE  PAR  A  TION.  2  $7 

the  voyage,  but  made  no  complaint.  "I  feel  my 
spirit  bound,"  he  said,  ''to  the  New  World,  and  my 
heart  is  united  with  the  people,  though  unknown;" 
''I  am  going  to  live  to  God  and  to  teach  others 
so  to  do." 

Less  is  known  of  Mr.  Wright.  He  spent  most 
of  three  years  in  Maryland  and  Virginia,  and  re- 
turned to  England,  where,  after  about  the  same 
length  of  time,  his  name  ceased  to  appear  in  the 
minutes. 

These  good  men  commenced  their  labors  in  Phil- 
adelphia, in  what  is  known  as  the  Old  St.  George's 
Church,  originally  built  for  a  German  reformed  so- 
ciety, but  bought  for  the  Methodists  in  1770,  through 
the  influence  of  Captain  Webb.  It  was  not  finished 
then  nor  long  afterward.  One  author  says,  ' '  In  pro- 
cess of  time  it  was  floored  from  end  to  end,  and  more 
comely  seats  were  put  into  it,  with  a  new  pulpit  like 
a  tub  on  a  post."  It  was  the  largest  Methodist 
Church  in  the  country  for  about  fifty  years,  and  was 
a  favorite  place  with  Asbury.  It  is  the  honored 
mother  of  many  children,  who  are  proud  of  their 
pedigree.  Two  weeks  after  their  arrival,  Asbury 
wrote,  "I  find  my  mind  drawn  heavenward.  The 
Lord  hath  helped  me  by  his  power,  and  my  soul  is 
in  paradise."  .  .  .  "Glory  be  to  him  that  liveth 
and  abideth  forever." 

Asbury  soon  turned  his  steps  toward  New  York, 
preaching  at  Burlington  on  his  way,  where  Webb 
had  been  a  little  before,  and  giving  Staten  Island  its 
first  sight  of  a  true  Wesleyan  itinerant.  That  cas- 
ual beginning  has  developed  into  nine  Churches  and 
1,635  members,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  last  minutes. 


258  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Reaching  New  York,  November  1 2th,  he  received  a 
warm  welcome  by  Boardman  and  others,  and  plunged 
into  the  work  anew,  expressing  profound  interest  in 
the  colored  people. 

But  he  was  too  military  in  his  construction  to  be 
long  satisfied  with  the  random  operations  that  pre- 
vailed among  the  preachers,  and  addressed  himself 
to  systematizing  the  itinerant  work,  so  as  to  reach 
out  into  unoccupied  fields.  "I  am  fixed  to  the 
Methodist  plan,"  he  said  (that  is,  the  plan  of  itiner- 
ancy), and,  being  Wesley's  " assistant,"  he  had  this 
under  his  special  charge;  but  it  was  a  pretty  difficult 
point  to  maintain,  as  there  was  already  a  disposition 
in  some  of  the  little  societies  to  be  like  the  nations 
around  them,  and  have  settled  pastors,  which  most 
of  the  preachers  seemed  to  favor.  But  he  was  fully 
determined  to  sweep  the  country,  and  at  once  formed 
a  circuit,  stretching  from  Staten  Island  to  East  Ches- 
ter, for  the  Winter's  campaign,  and  led  the  way  him- 
self, preaching  in  the  open  air,  private  houses,  and 
anywhere  he  could  find  an  opening.  The  next 
Spring  (1772),  Boardman,  the  superintendent,  re- 
moved him  to  Philadelphia,  from  which  he  sallied 
forth,  saying,  "I  hope  that  before  long  about  seven 
preachers  of  us  will  spread  over  seven  or  eight  hun- 
dred miles."  Six  months  after,  he  received  marching 
orders  for  New  York,  and  was  off  again,  preaching 
in  prisons,  in  the  woods,  and  at  executions,  while 
Williams  went  to  Virginia  and  Pilmoor  to  Savannah. 
He  set  his  compeers  on  fire  by  his  heroism,  and  in- 
dicated to  the  people  and  to  Wesley  that  he  was 
God's  anointed  to  lead  the  little  Methodist  band  to 
their  coming  struggles  and  triumphs.      Accordingly, 


PROVIDENTIAL   PREPARATION.  259 

toward  the  close  of  1772,  Mr.  Wesley  wrote  him  a 
letter,  appointing  him  superintendent  in  the  place 
of  Mr.  Boardman,  whom  he  soon  met  at  Princeton, 
N.  J.  They  agreed  in  judgment,  he  says,  about 
the  affairs  of  the  society,  and  "were  comforted  to- 
gether." From  that  point  he  pushed  on  to  Mary- 
land, and  found  that  "swearers,  liars,  cock-fighters, 
card-players,  horse-racers,  drunkards,  etc.,  had  be- 
come new  men,  and  were  filled  with  the  praises 
of  God." 

Coming  to  Baltimore,  he  found  the  work  was 
gaining  ground  through  the  labors  of  his  predeces- 
sors, and  the  people  were  waking  up  to  open  their 
doors  for  preaching  and  the  entertainment  of  the 
itinerants,  where  they  at  first  left  them  to  preach 
out  of  doors  and  live  at  the  hotels.  An  Irishman, 
Captain  Patten,  was  the  first  to  open  his  house,  and 
he  was  soon  followed  by  others,  and  they  were  all 
filled  with  interested  hearers,  when  another  sail-loft 
was  obtained,  and  overflowed  with  people  com- 
ing many  miles  to  hear  the  strange  itinerants  who 
preached  without  a  manuscript,  prayed  without  a 
book,  and  were  happy  in  God.  Asbury  took  it 
upon  himself  to  organize  them  into  classes,  and  to 
introduce  the  Wesleyan  rule,  to  project  a  meeting- 
house, which  soon  led  to  a  second,  the  first  being  the 
dwelling   of  the   courageous  Irishman  above  named. 

From  this  singular  beginning,  Methodism  became 
a  settled  institution  in  Baltimore,  and  now  numbers 
about  11,500  members. 

Having  arranged  matters  here,  Asbury  organ- 
ized a  circuit  of  two  hundred  miles  in  extent,  with 
twenty-four  appointments,  which  he  compassed  every 


260  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

three  weeks.  March  29,  1773,  he  wrote:  "I  rode 
twenty  miles  to  Susquehanna,  and  just  got  there, 
almost  spent,  time  enough  to  preach  at  three  o'clock. 
Hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped  me.  Praised  forever 
be  his  dear  and  blessed  name!  Tuesday,  30th,  our 
quarterly-meeting  began.  After  I  had  preached,  we 
proceeded  to  business,  and  in  our  little  conference 
the  following  queries  were  propounded,  namely: 
1.  Are  there  any  disorderly  persons  in  our  classes? 
It  is  thought  not.  2.  Does  not  dram-drinking  too 
much  prevail  among  our  people?  3.  Do  none  con- 
tract debts  without  due  care  to  pay  them?  .  .  . 
5.  Is  there  nothing  immoral  in  any  of  our  preach- 
ers? 6.  What  preachers  travel  now,  and  where  are 
they  stationed?  It  was  then  urged  that  none  must 
break  our  rules,  under  the  penalty  of  being  excluded 
from  our  connection.  All  was  settled  in  a  most  ami- 
cable manner." 

This  was  a  great  accession,  and  brought  multi- 
tudes together,  involving  powerful  sermons,  many 
conversions,  and  much  joy,  and  was  the  beginning 
of  greater  things  of  the  same  kind,  connected  with 
"old-fashioned  quarterly-meetings,"  so  much  talked 
about  even  now. 

Asbury,  hearing  of  some  disturbances  in  the 
North,  took  his  departure,  and  returned  to  New 
York  to  be  temporarily  relieved  of  his  superintend- 
ency,  probably  at  his  own  suggestion,  by  Thomas 
Rankin,  already  on  his  way  to  the  country. 


EARLIEST  PREACHERS.  26 1 


CHAPTER  II. 

THOMAS  RANKIN  AND  GEORGE  SHADFORD PROGRESS  OF  THE 

CAUSE REMARKABLE      AWAKENINGS MORE      TROUBLE 

ABOUT  THE  SACRAMENTS ORIGIN  OF  THE  GERMAN  METH- 
ODISTS OR  UNITED   BRETHREN. 

IT  had  been  hoped  for  some  time  that  Mr.  Wesley 
himself  would  come  to  the  country  and  give  di- 
rection to  the  Methodist  work.  Captain  Webb  vis- 
ited England  in  1772  to  urge  him  to  this  course,  and 
also  to  send  out  more  missionaries.  Wesley  gave 
him  a  warm  reception,  and  used  him,  while  there,  to 
excellent  purpose.  He  seemed  really  proud  of  his 
military  preacher,  and  was  disposed  to  comply  with 
his  wishes,  but  deemed  it  inexpedient  for  him  to 
leave  the  European  work  so  long  as  a  trip  to  Amer- 
ica would  require.  He,  however,  sent  two  of  his 
choicest  men,  namely,  Thomas  Rankin  and  George 
Shadford,  who  arrived  at  Philadelphia  in  the  Summer 
°f  l773>  with  Captain  Webb  and  Joseph  Yearbry,  a 
local  preacher,  who  at  once  entered  the  itinerant 
ranks.  But  in  doing  this  he  had  to  resist  his  brother 
Charles,  as  usual,  who  thought  the  captain  fanatical, 
and  did  not  accept  his  glowing  account  of  the  pros- 
pects in  the  New  World. 

Rankin  was  a  Scotchman,  an  intelligent,  zealous 
preacher,  who  was  ready  to  lay  down  his  life  to 
bring  sinners  to  God,  and  a  thorough  disciplinarian. 


262  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


The  story  of  his  early  life  and  labors  is  very  interest- 
ing. Shadford  was  also  an  admirable  man;  was  in 
the  army  several  years,  but  on  his  return  home  went 
into  business  with  his  father,  when  he  was  led  to 
Christ  by  a  most  interesting  train  of  circumstances. 
His  conversion  was  of  that  kind  which  moved  him  at 
once  to  save  others.  Establishing  family  prayers  in 
his  father's  house  by  permission,  he  soon  brought 
both  of  his  parents  to  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  with  two 
others  of  his  family,  and  several  of  his  companions. 
He  talked  to  all  he  could  reach,  and  many  bowed 
under  his  influence.  He  was  a  successful  soul-saver 
before  he  was  a  preacher.  Wesley  was  pleased  with 
him,  called  him  into  the  itinerant  work,  and  sent 
him  with  his  colaborer,  Rankin,  to  conquer  this  wil- 
derness for  God. 

Mr.  Rankin  being  the  senior  of  Asbury  by  some 
years,  was  made  superintendent  of  the  American 
work  in  his  place.  Seniority  was  a  potential  element 
in  those  days,  and  was  often  followed  to  the  detri- 
ment of  the  cause.  Mr.  Wesley  supposed  that  he 
knew  his  men  in  this  case,  and  believed  that  they 
would  do  their  best,  however  arranged.  But  it  is  by 
no  means  certain  that  he  did  not  make  a  mistake. 
Rankin  was  too  stern  and  authoritative  for  the  coun- 
try and  the  times.  Though  tender-hearted  in  preach- 
ing to  sinners,  he  was  evidently  too  commanding  in 
government  among  his  brethren,  and  for  this  rea- 
son often  gave  offense.  He  did  not  understand  hu- 
man nature  or  the  American  temper  so  well  as 
Asbury;  but  the  Revolution  soon  removed  him  to 
the  home  work,  for  which  he  was  evidently  much 
better  adapted. 


EARLIEST  PREACHERS.  263 

THE    FIRST    CONFERENCE. 

Up  to  this  period  no  regular  conference  had  been 
held,  and  little  conventional  business  done.  The 
preachers  were  scattered  about  in  different  States, 
and  were  appropriating  their  labors  as  circumstances 
seemed  to  require.  But  now,  Mr.  Rankin  having 
received  authority  from  Mr.  Wesley,  summoned  a 
conference  of  the  preachers  in  Philadelphia,  to  com- 
mence on  the  fourth  of  July.  Here  it  was  agreed 
that  Mr.  Wesley  ought  to  exercise  the  same  author- 
ity over  the  preachers  and  societies  in  this  country 
he  did  in  England,  and  that  the  doctrine  and  dis- 
cipline contained  in  the  minutes  should  be  the  rule 
of  their  action.  It  was  further  agreed  that  the 
preachers  should  not  administer  the  ordinances,  and 
the  people  should  be  encouraged  to  receive  them  in 
the  Episcopal  Church.  This  was  a  pretty  hard  requi- 
sition, as  many  of  those  ministers  were  sporting 
characters,  without  the  least  sympathy  for  vital  re- 
ligion. It  is  hardly  surprising  that  Strawbridge's 
Irish  heart  repudiated  them.  The  wonder  is  that  the 
requisition  should  have  been  made  here  or  elsewhere ; 
but  Mr.  Wesley  had  not  then  entirely  escaped  from 
the  bondage  of  ecclesiasticism.  If  it  was  wise,  it  is 
difficult  to  see  it  at  this  distance  of  time. 

Robert  Williams,  as  we  have  seen,  was  a  great 
man  for  books,  printing  and  circulating  them  among 
the  people,  particularly  some  of  Mr.  Wesley's  excel- 
lent sermons.  The  conference  disapproved  of  his 
course,  and  required  him  to  sell  out  and  quit,  except 
as  he  might  have  the  authority  of  Mr.  Wesley,  and 
the    consent   of  his    brethren.      This    placed   private 


264  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

publishing  under  embargo,  and  contributed,  no  doubt, 
to  promote  the  connectional  establishment,  called 
"The  Methodist  Book  Concern." 

The  societies  at  this  time  embraced  ten  itinerant 
preachers,  and  1,160  members.  The  appointments 
of  the  preachers  were  as  follows : 

New  York — Thomas  Rankin.        )       To  change 
Philadelphia — George  Shadford.  J  in  four  months. 
New  Jersey — John  King,  William  Waters. 
Baltimore — Francis  Asbury,  Robert  Strawbridge,  Abraham 
Whitworth.   and  Joseph  Yearbry. 
Norfolk — Richard  Wright. 
Petersburg — Robert  Williams. 

Observe,  these  were  all  the  appointments  made 
at  the  first  conference,  held  in  1773,  one  hundred 
and  two  years  ago.  Now  the  annual  appointments  of 
the  several  Methodist  Churches  in  this  country  num- 
ber 19,156  preachers,  filling  several  hundred  closely 
printed  octavo  pages,  and  supervising  3,031,988 
members,  showing  an  average  annual  increase  of 
more  than  186  ministers,  and  29,522  members. 

William  Waters  was  the  first  native  American  who 
joined  the  itinerancy.  He  was  born  in  Maryland  of 
Episcopal  parents,  led  to  God  by  the  Methodists,  and 
entered  the  ministry  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years. 
One  of  Wesley's  sermons,  printed  by  Williams  in 
a  disorderly  way,  as  would  seem  from  the  action  of 
the  conference,  led  him  to  see  the  possibility  of  entire 
sanctification,  and  to  seek  and  enjoy  its  fullness. 

The  action  of  the  conference  was  also  a  blow  at 
Strawbridge  and  others,  who  insisted  on  administering 
the  sacraments,  or  were  in  any  way  inclined  to  inde- 
pendency.    However,  they  bore  it  patiently,  and  peace 


EARLIEST  PREACHERS.  26$ 

was  preserved.  Messrs.  Boardman  and  Pilmoor, 
seeing  the  war-cloud  gathering,  were  inclined  to  re- 
turn to  England,  and  the  conference  allowed  them  to 
do  so.  The  former  did  good  service  for  eight  years, 
in  the  itinerant  work  there,  and  then  died  in  peace; 
and  the  latter  returned  to  Philadelphia  in  a  few  years, 
and  became  the  rector  of  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church, 
where  he  received  the  title  of  Doctor  of  Divinity. 
He  was  evidently  afflicted  by  being  entirely  left  out 
of  sight  by  Mr.  Wesley,  in  providing  for  Methodism 
in  the  two  countries.  He  was,  however,  a  good 
man,  and  retained  much  of  his  early  love  for  Meth- 
odism during  his  long  and  useful  life,  and  contributed 
annually  to  the  poor  preachers'  fund. 

The  members  reported  at  the  first  conference 
were  distributed  as  follows :  New  York,  1 80 ;  Phila- 
delphia, 180;  New  Jersey,  200;  Maryland,  500;  and 
Virginia,  100,  showing  a  preponderance  in  favor  of 
Maryland,  the  field  of  Strawbridge,  who  had  admin- 
istered the  sacraments  as  well  as  the  Gospel. 

THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CAUSE. 

With  these  arrangements  the  work  advanced  with 
new  energy.  The  conference  of  1774  showed  a  gain 
of  seven  preachers  and  913  members,  and  the  next 
year  there  was  an  increase  of  1,075  members.  This 
was  a  remarkable  year  for  revivals.  Both  ministers 
and  people  were  strangely  baptized  with  the  Spirit, 
showing  a  gain  at  the  conference  in  1776  of  25 
preachers  and  1,873  members.  But  the  signs  of  the 
times  were  ominous  of  a  coming  struggle,  and  Board- 
man,  Webb,  Wright,  and  others,  loving  their  king 
and   country,    returned   home.       To   meet  the   emer- 

23 


266  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

gency  the  Lord  called  others  to  the  work,  who  were, 
after  all,  better  adapted  to  it,  as  they  were  less 
wedded  to  the  English  Church,  and  cared  more  for 
the  salvation  of  souls  than  they  did  for  ecclesiastical 
order"  Among  these  were  Philip  Gatch,  Richard 
Owen,  Slater  Stephenson,  and  Nathan  Perigan,  all 
the  fruits  of  Strawbridge's  ministry.  They  were 
mighty  men  in  their  way,  and  for  the  work  they 
were  called  to  do.  They  had  the  advantage  of  being 
thoroughly  awakened  to  feel  themselves  to  be  sin- 
ners, guilty  and  lost,  and  then,  of  being  clearly  and 
powerfully  converted,  and  made  inexpressibly  happy 
in  God.  Under  this  inspiration  they  began  almost 
necessarily  to  speak  of  it,  and  persuade  others  to 
repent.  Venturing  out  on  this  line,  they  found  they 
had  "power  with  God  and  with  men,"  and  prevailed. 
Others  noticed  it,  too,  and  encouraged  them  forward; 
and,  without  any  settled  intention,  they  found  them- 
selves successfully  preaching  the  Gospel.  Had  they 
entered  the  ministry  as  a  choice  of  professions,  with- 
out any  clear  apprehension  of  themselves  as  sinners, 
or  as  pardoned  and  transformed  by  the  grace  of  God, 
as  we  fear  that  some  do,  they  would  have  been  an 
incumbrance,  though  they  might  have  delivered 
pretty  lectures,  and  been  esteemed  for  their  intelli- 
gence and  gentlemanly  deportment.  This  was  not 
the  kind  of  ministers  needed  at  that  clay,  or  even 
now.  The  work  of  God  must  suffer  in  their  hands. 
Abraham  Whitworth,  sent  to  Baltimore  from  the 
first  conference,  was  an  Englishman  and  did  good 
service  in  connection  with  Webb,  Shadford,  and  others 
in  New  Jersey,  but  afterward  fell  into  intemperance, 
and  probably  perished  in  the  British  army.      His  elo- 


EARLIEST  PREACHERS.  267 

quence  could  not  save  him.  Asbury  thought  that  he 
became  "puffed  up"  with  pride.  But  in  the  days  of 
his  usefulness  he  was  the  means  of  converting  one 
of  the  strongest  characters  that  ever  appeared  in  the 
itinerant  ranks;  namely,  Benjamin  Abbott.  Abbott 
was  a  thorough  sinner  of  the  roughest  mold,  a  reg- 
ular fighter,  who  feared  not  God  or  regarded  man, 
and  about  forty  years  old  when  he  was  made  a  new 
creature.  He  was  now  as  valiant  for  God  as  he  had 
been  for  Satan,  and  commenced  his  labors  in  his  own 
family.  His  wife  and  six  children  were  soon  rejoic- 
ing with  him  in  the  Lord.  Exhorting  his  old  com- 
panions in  sin,  many  believed  and  were  also  saved. 
Though  he  was  bold  as  a  lion,  he  was,  never- 
theless, tender  as  a  child,  and  went  forth  fifteen 
miles  around  his  farm  preaching  and  weeping  and 
dreaming  and  triumphing  gloriously.  When  he  first 
heard  about  sanctification,  he  was  ready  for  it,  and  re- 
solved to  seek  it,  and  in  receiving  it  "fell  flat  to  the 
floor,"  and  "had  not  power  to  lift  a  hand  or  foot, 
nor  yet  to  speak  a  word."  When  he  arose  and 
went  out,  it  appeared  to  him  that  "the  whole  crea- 
tion was  praising  God."  This  gave  him  new  power, 
and  going  to  preach  at  a  place  called  "Hell  Neck," 
on  account  of  the  wickedness  of  the  people,  he 
wrote,  ' '  One  sinner  there  said  he  had  heard  Abbott 
swear,  and  had.  seen  him  fight,  and  now  would  go 
and  hear  him  preach.  The  word  reached  his  heart, 
and  he  soon  after  became  a  convert  to  the  Lord." 
A  wicked  man  whipped  his  converted  son  fifteen 
years  old,  when  Abbott  went  out  to  remonstrate 
with  him,  and  brought  him  to  tears  and  to  prayer. 
Though  he  was  several  times  mobbed,  he  generally 


268  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

won  the  field.  Yet  he  knew  little  except  the  simple 
plan  of  salvation,  which   he    every-where   presented. 

But  he  was  always  ready  for  every  kind  of  ob- 
jection and  phase  of  difficulty.  Says  Dr.  Stevens, 
' '  No  evangelist  of  that  day  was  more  successful  than 
Benjamin  Abbott.  .  .  .  He  was  mighty  as  a 
preacher,  and  he  preached  with  the  expectation  of 
immediate  and  individual  results.  The  distinct,  de- 
monstrative reformation  and  salvation  of  individual 
souls  were  the  only  satisfactory  proofs  to  him  of  the 
success  of  his  ministry,  and  he  sought  for  such  proofs 
in  every  place  he  visited,  after  every  sermon  he  de- 
livered." This,  next  to  the  burning  consciousness 
of  salvation  in  his  own  soul,  was  the  secret  of  his 
power.  He  preached,  not  because  it  was  his  profes- 
sional business,  but  to  save  souls,  and  followed  his 
sermons  with  other  measures  to  bring  his  hearers 
to  the  point.  And  he  died  as  he  lived,  shouting, 
Glory!  glory!  glory!  at  the  age  of  sixty-four,  and  his 
remains  lie  buried  in  Salem,  New  Jersey,  near  his 
former  residence. 

Other  distinguished  ministers  were  called  in  like 
manner,  about  the  same  time,  as  Daniel  Ruff,  Jesse 
Lee,  Freeborn  Garrettson,  and  many  more;  but  as 
they  multiply  we  shall  have  to  pass  many  of  them 
without  giving  the  slighest  sketch  of  their  operations. 

INTERRUPTIONS    FROM   THE    REVOLUTION. 

From  this  period  to  the  conference  of  1784,  when 
the  societies  were  organized  into  a  separate  and  dis- 
tinct Church,  they  were  subjected  to  various  conflicts, 
which  at  times  threatened  their  existence.  One  class 
of  these  arose  from  the  Revolutionary  struggle,  which 


EARLIEST  PREACHERS.  269 

commenced  in  1776  and  continued  to  1783.  War, 
in  any  circumstances,  is  disastrous  to  religion  and 
virtue  in  the  community  at  large.  Where  armies 
are  marching  and  counter-marching  through  the  coun- 
try, and  husbands  and  sons  and  brothers,  of  every 
neighborhood,  are  on  the  battle-field,  amidst  carnage 
and  death,  it  is  impossible  to  fix  the  public  mind  on 
any  other  subject,  even  where  there  is  the  utmost 
harmony  in  relation  to  the  cause  and  objects  of  the 
war.  But  one  unfortunate  feature  of  this  war  was, 
that  the  community  were  divided  about  it,  a  part  con- 
tending earnestly  for  independence  and  the  other  part 
for  continued  subordination  to  the  mother  country. 
On  this  question  the  father  was  often  found  arrayed 
against  the  son  and  the  son  against  the  father  ;  the 
husband  against  the  wife  and  the  wife  against  the 
husband;  for  the  women  were  nearly  as  strong  poli- 
ticians as  the  men.  So  that,  had  the  ministers  of 
the  sanctuary  been  angels,  they  would  have  been  ex- 
posed to  the  cruel  jealousy  of  both  parties,  and, 
therefore,  unlikely  to  convert  either  to  the  Lord. 
But  they  must  have  been  more  than  angels  to  have 
gained  great  spiritual  victories  amid  so  much  excite- 
ment, even  in  the  absence  of  all  jealousy. 

But  it  was  unfortunate  for  Methodism  that  most 
of  our  preachers  were  Englishmen.  This  exposed 
them  to  peculiar  suspicion.  It  was  still  more  unfor- 
tunate that  some  of  them  allowed  their  patriotism  to 
betray  them  into  imprudencies,  which  justly  exposed 
them,  not  only  to  suspicion,  but  to  other  evils;  and 
finally  compelled  them  to  leave  the  country.  The 
difficulty  was  greatly  argumented  by  a  pamphlet 
published  by  Mr.  Wesley,  and  addressed  to  Ameri- 


270  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

cans,  condemning  their  conduct,  and  taking  sides 
with  the  English  Cabinet.  In  the  existing  state  of 
the  public  mind,  these  intimations  of  denominational 
toryism  were  demonstrative.  But,  as  if  to  leave  no 
room  to  doubt,  a  backslider  must  needs  set  himself 
to  enlist  three  hundred  men  for  the  British  standard, 
which  cost  him  his  life,  and  his  old  Methodist  friends 
considerable  trouble,  as  they  were  supposed  to  be 
parties  to  the  plot. 

The  excitement  arose  to  such  a  pitch  that  the 
preachers  were  greatly  interrupted.  Most  of  the 
missionaries  returned  to  England,  preferring  that  to 
taking  the  oath  of  allegiance.  Mr.  Asbury  concealed 
himself  at  Judge  White's,  in  Delaware,  for  almost  one 
year,  to  avoid  taking  the  oath  exacted  by  the  State 
of  Maryland.  Mr.  Garrettson  and  others  who  ven- 
tured to  continue  in  the  field  were  severely  mobbed, 
persecuted,  and  imprisoned.  James  Hartley  preached 
through  the  grates  of  his  prison,  and  many  were 
awakened,  till  it  was  said  if  they  retained  him  much 
longer  he  would  convert  the  whole  town.  John- 
street  Chapel,  in  New  York,  was  occupied  by  the 
British  troops  for  some  five  years,  from  1777  to  1783, 
and  no  preacher  was  stationed  in  the  town.  Other 
points  were  entirely  abandoned  for  the  time,  and  the 
work  suspended. 

FURTHER   TROUBLE   ABOUT   THE   SACRAMENTS. 

The  question  of  the  sacraments  was  another 
source  of  difficulty  that  came  near  destroying  the 
unity  of  the  body.  The  missionaries,  and  many 
others,  were  intent  upon  cleaving  to  Mr.  Wesley  and 
the  Church,  and  would  not  countenance  the  adminis- 


EARLIEST  PREACHERS.  27 1 

tration  of  the  sacraments  on  any  account ;  while  some 
believed  that  Methodists  had  as  good  a  right  to  the 
sacraments  as  Churchmen,  and  repudiated  the  practice 
of  depending  upon  the  English  clergy,  who  were  gen- 
erally irreligious,  if  not  immoral  and  profane.  They 
therefore  broke  away  from  the  old  custom,  and  admin- 
istered the  sacraments  as  the  people  desired.  Hence, 
the  action  had  at  the  first  conference.  After  this  the 
subject  was  called  up  and  discussed  from  time  to  time, 
till  1779,  when  the  Southerners  could  stand  it  no 
longer,  and,  therefore,  as  they  were  in  the  minority, 
and  could  not  get  a  vote  in  the  conference  to  carry 
out  their  wishes,  they  called  the  preachers  together, 
at  Fluvanna,  Virginia,  on  the  18th  of  May,  where, 
in  spite  of  many  entreaties,  they  set  up  their  stand- 
ard, and  appointed  a  committee  to  ordain  ministers. 
The  committee  first  ordained  each  other,  and  then 
they  ordained  their  brethren,  whereupon  they  all  went 
forth  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  kingdom,  and  ad- 
ministering the  sacraments.  Mr.  Asbury  labored 
hard  to  reclaim  them,  but  in  vain,  till  the  conference 
of  1780,  when  he  persuaded  them  to  suspend  their 
new  order  for  one  year.  This  suspension  was  con- 
tinued until  Mr.  Wesley  provided  for  the  necessities 
of  the  society  in  a  way  that  gave  general  satisfaction. 
It  was  during  this  period,  too,  that  Methodism 
commenced  its  conflict  with  slavery,  and  received  its 
first  onset  from  slaveholders.  It  dared  then  to  say, 
in  Baltimore,  that  ' '  slavery  is  contrary  to  the  laws  of 
God,  man,  and  nature,  and  hurtful  to  society;  con- 
trary to  the  dictates  of  conscience  and  pure  religion, 
and  doing  that  which  we  would  not  that  others 
should    do    to    us    and    ours."     It   spake    out,   also, 


272 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


against    distilling    liquor,    and    warned    the    people 
against  these  evils,  as  too  wicked  to  be  tolerated. 

REMARKABLE    AWAKENINGS. 

But  in  the  midst  of  all  their  perplexities  they 
prospered.  God  wrought  mightily  upon  the  public 
heart,  and  many  were  born  of  the  spirit.  Mr.  Ran- 
kin's account  of  what  he  saw  and  felt  on  one  occa- 
sion in  Maryland,  gives  a  pretty  clear  view  of  what 
was  common  in  those  times.      He  says: 

"At  four  in  the  afternoon  I  preached  again,  from 
'  I  set  before  thee  an  open  door,  and  none  can  shut 
it.'  I  had  gone  through  about  two-thirds  of  my  dis- 
course, and  was  bringing  the  words  home  to  the 
present  now,  when  such  power  descended  that  hun- 
dreds fell  to  the  ground,  and  the  house  seemed  to 
shake  with  the  presence  of  God.  The  chapel  was 
full  of  white  and  black,  and  many  were  without  that 
could  not  get  in.  Look  wherever  we  would,  we  saw 
nothing  but  streaming  eyes,  and  faces  bathed  in 
tears,  and  heard  nothing  but  the  groans  and  prayers 
of  the  congregation.  I  then  sat  down  in  the  pulpit, 
and  both  Mr.  S.  and  I  were  so  filled  with  the  divine 
presence  that  we  could  only  say,  'This  is  none  other 
than  the  house  of  God !  this  is  the  gate  of  heaven  I ' 
Husbands  were  inviting  their  wives  to  go  to  heaven, 
wives  their  husbands,  parents  their  children,  and 
children  their  parents,  brothers  their  sisters,  and  sis- 
ters their  brothers.  In  short,  those  who  were  happy 
in  God  themselves  were  for  bringing  all  their  friends 
to  him  in  their  arms.  This  mighty  effusion  of  the 
Spirit  continued  for  above  an  hour,  in  which  many 
were   awakened,   some   found   peace   with    God,    and 


EARLIEST  PREACHERS.  273 

others  his  pure  love.  We  attempted  to  speak  or 
sing  again  and  again,  but  we  had  no  sooner  begun 
than  our  voices  were  drowned. 

"Sunday,  7.  I  preached  at  Watters's  Chapel.  I 
intended  to  preach  near  the  house,  under  the  shade 
of  some  large  trees,  but  the  rain  made  it  impracti- 
cable. The  house  was  very  greatly  crowded;  four  or 
five  hundred  stood  at  the  doors  and  windows,  and 
listened  with  unabated  attention.  I  preached  from 
Ezekiel's  vision  of  dry  bones:  'And  there  was  a 
great  shaking.'  I  was  obliged  to  stop  again  and 
again,  and  beg  of  the  people  to  compose  themselves, 
but  they  could  not ;  some  on  their  knees,  and  some 
on  thei  ■  faces,  were  crying  mightily  to  God  all  the 
time  I  was  preaching.  Hundreds  of  negroes  were 
among  them,  with  the  tears  streaming  down  their 
faces." 

Thus,  by  the  divine  blessing,  the  society  stemmed 
the  current,  and  gained  a  little  every  year,  so  that, 
in  1784,  it  numbered  eighty-three  traveling  preachers, 
and  14,986  members. 

ORIGIN  OF  THE  UNITED   BRETHREN. 

It  was  during  this  period  that  the  denomination 
known  among  us  as  "The  United  Brethren  in  Christ," 
or  "The  German  Methodists,"  was  organized.  Rev. 
Mr.  Otterbein,  a  well-educated  minister  of  the  Ger- 
man Reformed  Church,  born  on  the  Rhine,  came  to 
Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  in  1752,  and,  by  some 
means,  was  led  to  seek  a  higher  state  of  grace  than 
was  taught  by  his  people.  This  spoiled  him  for  the 
place  he  occupied,  his  Church  preferring  to  abide  in 
their  usual  condition   of  spiritual   death.      With   the 


274  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

aid  of  Mr.  Asbury,  he  obtained  the  pastorate  of 
a  new  church  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  where  he 
adopted  most  of  the  prudential  arrangements  of  the 
Methodists,  and  soon  organized  the  denomination 
before  mentioned.  He  was  an  able  man,  a  powerful 
preacher,  and  much  admired  by  Mr.  Asbury,  and  as- 
sisted Dr.  Coke  in  ordaining  him  elder  and  superin- 
tendent. His  followers  now  claim  967  traveling  preach- 
ers, 742  local  preachers,  and  120,445  members.  They 
are  a  plain,  pious  people,  who  adhere  more  rigidly 
to  primitive  Methodism  than  some  others  of  less 
pretensions. 


CHURCH  ORGANIZED.  275 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE     SITUATION     STATED METHODIST    EPISCOPAL     CHURCH 

ORGANIZED PROGRESS    OF    THE    CAUSE     FROM     1 784    TO 

1792 CONGRATULATORY    ADDRESS     TO    WASHINGTON 

JESSE    LEE'S    FIRST    EFFORTS    IN    MASSACHUSETTS,    ETC. 

PRIOR  to  the  conference  of  1784,  Methodists 
were  peculiar  in  their  Church  relations,  as  in 
their  spirit  and  modes  of  procedure.  As  we  have 
already  stated,  Mr.  Wesley's  sole  object  was  to  re- 
vive spiritual  religion  in  the  Churches  where  he 
might  labor,  not  to  establish  another  Church.  He 
therefore  formed  societies  merely,  and  urged  his  fol- 
lowers to  look  to  the  Churches  with  which  they 
might  be  identified  for  the  sacraments — an  awkward 
position,  growing  out  of  his  prelatical  notions.  Mr. 
Asbury  and  most  of  his  clerical  associates  had 
adhered  rigidly  to  this  policy,  often  to  the  great 
dissatisfaction  of  their  followers;  but,  instead  of  re- 
ciprocating this  extreme  respect  for  the  ridiculous 
assumptions  of  the  Established  Church,  the  clergy 
treated  it  with  contempt. 

Methodists  were  therefore  left  to  choose  between 
disobeying  God  by  the  neglect  of  the  sacraments 
and  receiving  them  at  the  hands  of  a  godless  minis- 
try when  and  only  when  it  should  condescend  to  give 
them;  but,  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  in  1775, 
most    of    the    British    clergy    left    the    country    and 


2j6  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

returned  to  England,  cutting  off  even  this  source  of 
supply. 

THE    EMERGENCY HOW    MET. 

In  this  state  of  affairs  many  of  our  people  prop- 
erly refused  to  wait  any  longer  for  Mr.  Wesley,  and 
requested  their  own  preachers  to  administer  the  sac- 
raments, and  they  did  so.  Though  they  reverenced 
him  and  Mr.  Asbury,  they  could  but  see  the  folly 
of  their  adherence  to  a  Church  that  did  nothing  for 
them,  and  was  ready  to  crush  them  at  every  point; 
besides,  this  country  was  now  free  from  England 
and  its  Established  Church,  and  had  nothing  to  do 
with  either.  The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  had 
not  been  organized.  The  Baptists,  Presbyterians, 
and  other  religious  sects  were  generally  Calvinistic, 
and  regarded  Methodists  as  peniters.  There  was  no 
way  to  evade  the  issue  any  longer.  Mr.  Wesley 
saw  the  emergency  and  prepared  for  it.  He  had 
read  himself  comparatively  free  from  his  High- 
church  notions  several  years  before,  and  believed 
that  he  had  as  much  Gospel  right  to  ordain  minis- 
ters as  any  bishop  in  England,  but  had  declined  to 
do  it  to  avoid  a  break  with  his  Church.  Besides,  the 
bishops  had  refused  to  ordain  his  preachers,  either 
for  the  home  or  foreign  work.  What  ought  he  to 
do  in  these  circumstances?  His  duty  was  plain,  and 
he  ordained  Richard  Whatcoat  and  Thomas  Vasey 
elders,  and  then  he  ordained  Dr.  Coke,  already  a 
presbyter  of  the  Church  of  England,  superintendent 
or  bishop,  all  for  the  American  work ;  and,  having 
thus  broken  the  ice,  he  afterward  ordained  others  for 
Scotland,  the  West  Indies,  and  even  for  England. 


CHURCH  ORGANIZED.  2JJ 

He  also  appointed  Mr.  Asbury  joint  superintend- 
ent, and  authorized  Dr.  Coke  to  ordain  him  as  such, 
and  revised  the  liturgy  of  the  English  Church  for 
that  purpose,  as  well  as  for  the  ordination  of  deacons 
and  elders.  The  necessity  was  imperative,  and  the 
organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was 
carried  into  effect  on  this  basis,  and  gave  general  sat- 
isfaction. The  result,  we  believe,  clearly  indicates 
the  divine  approval. 

These  good  men  arrived  in  New  York  on  the  3d 
of  November,  1784.  After  consultation  with  Mr. 
Asbury  and  others,  it  was  agreed  to  call  a  confer- 
ence of  all  the  preachers,  to  convene  in  Baltimore 
the  ensuing  Christmas.  The  time  arrived,  and  sixty 
of  the  eighty-three  traveling  preachers  then  in  the 
connection  appeared.  Dr.  Coke  presided,  assisted 
by  Mr.  Asbury.  The  first  act  of  the  conference  was 
to  elect  Dr.  Coke  and  Francis  Asbury  superintend- 
ents. This  was  done  to  accommodate  the  scruples 
of  Mr.  Asbury,  who  declined  acting  on  the  appoint- 
ment of  Mr.  Wesley  without  such  an  election — not 
that  he  doubted  his  authority,  but  he  wished  to 
know  that  his  appointment  was  approved  by  the 
body  over  which  he  was  to  preside.  He  was  then 
first  ordained  deacon,  afterward  elder,  and  finally 
consecrated  by  Dr.  Coke  and  others  to  the  office  of 
superintendent,  all  according  to  Mr.  Wesley's  direc- 
tions. The  conference  then  elected  twelve  others  to 
the  order  of  elder,  who  were  duly  consecrated  by  the 
imposition  of  hands.  (Bangs's  History,  Vol.  I,  pp. 
149-167.) 

The  conference  of  1784  also  adopted  our  present 
articles  of  religion  and  the  general   system  of  disci- 


278  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

pline  by  which  the  Church  has  since  been  governed. 
Her  prudential  arrangements  have,  of  course,  expe- 
rienced various  modifications,  but  the  main  features 
of  the  Discipline  agreed  upon  at  that  time  have  been 
sacredly  maintained  to  the  present ;  and  all  was  done, 
we  repeat,  by  the  advice  and  with  the  approval  of 
Mr.  Wesley.  Indeed,  he  arranged  nearly  every  thing 
in  advance  —  the  episcopacy,  liturgy,  doctrine,  and 
Discipline,  with  a  prayer-book.  The  prayer-book, 
however,  with  its  accompanying  trappings,  the  gown 
and  bands,  found  little  favor,  and  soon  disappeared — 
we  trust,  forever — without  any  formal  prohibition. 

THE    PRACTICAL    WORKING    OF   THE    SYSTEM. 

Among  the  twelve  elders  ordained  at  this  confer- 
ence were  Freeborn  Garrettson  and  O.  Cromwell, 
who  were  designated  for  Nova  Scotia.  It  was  pro- 
posed to  ordain  Mr.  Garrettson  superintendent  for 
that  country,  but  he  wisely  preferred  to  survey  the 
ground  first,  and  did  so  with  his  co-laborer,  winning 
many  souls  to  God.  About  two  years  after,  he 
returned  to  the  States,  leaving  six  hundred  members 
in  societies,  preaching  in  Boston,  Providence,  and 
Newport  on  his  way  to  the  conference  at  Baltimore. 
Here  he  learned  that  Mr.  Wesley  was  desirous  of 
having  him  ordained  as  above  stated,  including  the 
West  Indies  in  his  diocese,  and  he  consented  to  do 
so  after  another  year,  provided  the  people  of  his 
proposed  supervision  should  indicate  their  approval 
in  the  mean  time.  Dr.  Coke  was  satisfied,  and  gave 
him  a  letter  to  the  brethren  in  the  West  Indies. 
Here  the  matter  rested;  but,  to  his  astonishment, 
when   the   appointments   were   announced,    he   found 


CHURCH  ORGANIZED. 


279 


himself  presiding  elder  in  Maryland.  How  the 
change  came  to  be  made  he  never  knew,  and  Mr. 
Wesley  was  much  grieved  by  it.  The  next  year  he 
was  set  apart  to  open  New  England,  but,  finding 
the  preacher  at  New  York  dying,  he  was  obliged  to 
take  his  place.  But  he  did  not  confine  himself  to 
New  York.  Being  supplied  with  several  helpers,  he 
pushed  the  work  up  north  as  far  as  Lake  Champlain, 
planting  little  societies  all  along  the  way. 

THE    FIRST    COLLEGE    STARTED. 

Ariother  matter  of  importance  connected  with  the 
organization  of  the  Church,  in  1784,  was  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  college  at  Abingdon,  twenty-five  miles 
from  Baltimore,  on  a  beautiful  spot,  embracing  six 
acres,  secured  for  the  purpose.  A  brick  building 
one  hundred  and  eight  feet  long  by  forty  feet  wide 
was  erected  and  dedicated  in  1787.  Its  foundation 
was  laid  by  Dr.  Coke,  "  attired  in  his  long  silk 
gown  and  flowing  bands."  (O,  what  a  narrow 
escape  Methodism  made  from  the  pomposity  of 
Churchism!)  Ten  years  after,  it  was  burned  to  the 
ground.  Bishop  Asbury  inferred  from  this  disaster, 
with  some  reason,  that  it  was  no  part  of  the  duty  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  to  found  colleges. 
Dr.  Coke,  however,  moved  for  a  new  building,  and 
made  a  good  beginning  in  the  way  of  obtaining  the 
necessary  funds,  when  his  attention  was  directed  to 
Baltimore,  where  a  suitable  edifice  was  purchased 
and  Cokesbury  College  revived  with  flattering  pros- 
pects. This  was  also  consumed  by  fire  in  a  few 
months,  which  convinced  Dr.  Coke  and  many  others 
that   the  mission  of  Methodism,   for  the   present,   at 


280  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

least,  was  saving  souls  rather  than  founding  colleges, 
and  little  more  was  done  in  that  direction  for  many- 
years.  Yet  we  must  say  that  we  have  never  seen 
any  arrangements  for  the  management  of  a  literary 
institution  so  thoroughly  religious  as  were  those  of 
Cokesbury  College.  They  are  certainly  worthy  of  the 
careful  consideration  of  the  educators  of  our  Church 
at  the  present  day. 

During  1785  three  conferences  were  held,  show- 
ing a  considerable  enlargement  of  the  territory  under 
cultivation,  and  an  increase  of  21  ministers  and  3,012 
members.  It  was  at  this  time,  too,  that  the  office 
of  presiding  elder  was  originated,  though  it  was  not 
called  by  this  name  until  1789.  Having  ordained 
but  twelve  elders  out  of  eighty-three  preachers  to 
serve  14,988  members,  scattered  abroad  over  the 
land,  it  was  necessary  to  divide  the  work  into  dis- 
tricts, with  an  elder  at  the  head  of  each  to  travel 
around  and  administer  the  sacraments.  Had  the 
preachers  been  generally  ordained,  as  they  now  are, 
the  office  would  not  probably  have  been  thought  of. 
As  it  was,  it  soon  became  the  source  of  more  ques- 
tioning and  debate  than  any  other  in  the  Church,  as 
will  be  seen  hereafter.  Its  original  foundations  hav- 
ing been  removed  by  the  uniform  ordination  of  the 
preachers,  and  no  new  powers  having  been  assigned 
to  it,  some  have  failed  to  see  sufficient  reasons  for  its 
continuance. 

There  were  also  three  conferences  held  in  1786, 
revealing  an  increase  of  2,681  members.  Here,  too, 
we  find  the  first  mention  of  colored  members  as  dis- 
tinguished from  others,  showing  that  the  preachers 
had  given  special  attention  to  this  unfortunate  race. 


CHURCH  ORGANIZED.  28 1 

The  number  reported  this  year  was  1,869,  one  thou- 
sand of  whom  were  connected  with  the  mission  3t 
Antigua,  and  were  soon  after  transferred  to  the  care 
of  the  British  Conference.  The  following  year,  the 
conference  said: 

"We  conjure  all  our  ministers  and  preachers  by 
the  love  of  God,  and  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  do 
require  them,  by  all  the  authority  that  is  vested  in 
us,  to  leave  nothing  undone  for  the  spiritual  benefit 
and  salvation  of  the  colored  people,  within  their 
respective  circuits  or  districts,  .  .  .  and  to  ex- 
ercise the  whole  Methodist  discipline  among  them." 

And  they  found  some  prodigies,  as  we  do  now. 
Henry  Hosier,  called  "Black  Harry,"  was  one  of 
them.  He  traveled  as  Bishop  Asbury's  servant,  and 
preached  to  colored  people.  Dr.  Rush,  of  Phila- 
delphia, pronounced  him  "the  greatest  orator  in 
America."  He  acted  as  driver  for  the  bishops,  par- 
ticipating in  their  religious  services,  and  excelling 
all  of  them  in  popularity.  They  had  no  fears  of 
putting  Harry  into  the  pulpit  in  their  place.  He 
was  sure  to  give  satisfaction.  If  they  had  any  fears 
about  a  congregation,  the  announcement  of  his  name 
would  bring  one.  He  died  in  the  Lord  in  18 10, 
and  was  buried  in  Philadelphia  with  distinguished 
honor. 

Our  limits  will  not  allow  us  to  detail  the  travels 
and  labors  of  the  bishops.  Suffice  it  to  say  they 
were  always  on  the  wing,  supervising  the  work  al- 
ready established  and  opening  new  fields,  reaching 
from  New  York  to  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  and 
west  into  Kentucky  and  Ohio.  Dr.  Coke  also  vis- 
ited England  and  the  West  Indies,  from  whence  he 

24 


282  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

returned  just  in  time  to  attend  the  conference  of  1787. 
The  last  one  for  the  year  met  at  Baltimore,  where 
his  administration  was  called  in  question,  he  having 
exercised  certain  authority  over  the  American  work 
while  in  Europe,  changing  the  time  and  place  of  the 
conference,  and  thus  overriding  the  action  of  that 
body.  But  he  made  it  all  right  at  once  by  signing 
a  paper  promising  not  to  repeat  the  offense,  and  to 
keep  within  the  proscribed  limits.  (Bangs' s  History, 
Vol.  I,  page  257.)  He  was  a  live  man,  often  acted 
without  suitable  deliberation,  but  always  meaning 
well,  and  ready  to  retract  when  convinced  of  his  error. 

This  was  generally  satisfactory,  and  the  affair  was 
a  capital  thing,  on  the  whole,  as  it  rebuked  the  first 
unauthorized  exercise  of  authority  in  the  bishops, 
and  admonished  them  to  be  careful.  But  to  make 
a  sure  thing  of  the  correction,  the  conference  an- 
swered the  question  in  the  minutes,  "Who  are  the 
superintendents  of  our  Church  in  these  United 
States?"  in  the  following  suggestive  words:  "Thomas 
Coke  (when  present  in  the  States)  and  Francis  As- 
bury. "  Besides,  it  indicates  the  vigilance  with  which 
the  early  fathers  guarded  their  rights,  and  protected 
themselves  against  the  exercise  of  excessive  episcopal 
authority. 

This  same  conference  took  another  step  in  the 
direction  of  self-control.  Mr.  Wesley  had  appointed 
Garrettson  and  Whatcoat  superintendents,  and  Dr. 
Coke  urged  their  election  on  the  ground  of  their 
previous  pledge  to  obey  Mr.  Wesley  during  his  life. 
But  the  conference  fearing  that  Mr.  Wesley  would 
call  Asbury  home  if  they  elected  Whatcoat,  declined 
to  do  so,  without  the  least  disrespect  to  him.      And 


CHURCH  ORGANIZED.  283 

to  relieve  themselves  of  any  real  or  imaginary  obli- 
gation to  obey  Wesley  against  their  own  judgment, 
they  left  their  former  commitment  to  obedience  out 
of  the  published  minutes. 

This  was  probably  a  wise  measure.  The  confer- 
ence justly  thought  that  they  understood  their  cir- 
cumstances and  wants  better  than  Mr.  Wesley.  It 
was  the  love  of  the  cause  that  controlled  their  ac- 
tion. They  had  good  reason  to  fear  that  Mr.  As- 
bury  would  be  taken  from  them.  Asbury  was  not 
so  aristocratic  or  Churchish  as  either  Rankin  or 
Coke,  and  some  body  had  represented  him  in  a  way 
to  Wesley  to  impair  confidence  in  his  loyalty. 

CHANGE    IN    TITLE. 

As  we  have  before  seen,  Mr.  Wesley,  in  revis- 
ing the  English  Ritual  for  the  use  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  substituted  the  term  superin- 
tendent for  bishop,  and  elder  for  presbyter,  as  he 
had  before  employed  the  word  society  in  place  of 
Church.  Still  he  meant  bishop  and  presbyter  just  as 
much  as  if  he  had  used  the  terms.  The  change  was 
made  to  avoid  giving  offense.  The  conference  of 
1784  accepted  these  terms,  knowing  their  import,  and 
employed  them  till  1787,  when  they  commenced  to 
call  their  superintendents  bishops,  and  so  denominated 
them  in  their, Discipline.  But  there  was  no  reordina- 
tion,  no  additional  prerogatives  imposed  or  assumed, 
no  change  whatever  except  in  the  name.  It  was  not 
done  by  Coke  nor  Asbury,  but  by  the  conference, 
and  was  published  in  the  Minutes  as  follows: 

"We  have  constituted  ourselves  into  an  Episco- 
pal   Church,    under    the    direction    of   bishops,   cldei's, 


284  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

deacons,  and  preachers,  according  to  the  form  of  or- 
dination annexed  to  our  prayer-book,  and  the  regula- 
tions laid  down  in  this  form  of  discipline." 

The  conference,  however,  wrote  a  conciliatory 
letter  to  Mr.  Wesley,  inviting  him  to  visit  his  Amer- 
ican children,  and  get  a  better  understanding  of.  their 
situation  and  interests.  But,  notwithstanding,  Mr. 
Wesley  was  afflicted  that  his  name  was  left  out  of  the 
Minutes,  so  to  speak,  in  the  matter  of  obedience  be- 
fore mentioned.  He  complained  of  this,  and  objected 
to  the  change  of  title  of  superintendent  to  bishop, 
for  the  same  reason  that  he  preferred  superintendent 
at  first;  namely,  because  it  might  be  less  offensive  to 
the  National  Church,  no  other  whatever.  But  the 
Revolution  had  freed  this  country  from  allegiance  to 
that  body,  and  there  was  no  reason  outside  of  Mr. 
Wesley's  preference  why  American  Methodists  should 
still  crouch  under  the  vain  assumptions  of  a  foreign 
hierarchy,  that  had  only  sought  their  ruin  from  the 
beginning.  But  there  was  good  reason  why  they 
should  openly  and  unmistakably  avow  their  real  po- 
sition, as  the  first  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in 
this  country. 

PROGRESS    OF    THE    CAUSE. 

This  was  a  year  of  extraordinary  revivals,  at- 
tended with  powerful  preaching,  prayer,  conversions, 
and  rejoicings,  strange  at  that  time,  but  similar  to 
what  we  now  see  in  many  places,  yielding  an  increase 
of  sixteen  ministers,  and  5, 161  members. 

The  year  1788  introduced  Methodism  along  the 
Hudson,  and  north,  to  Lake  Champlain,  and  gave 
some  six  hundred  members  to  the  Church.      Bishop 


CHURCH  ORGANIZED.  285 

Asbury  crossed  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  finding 
plenty  of  sin  and  hard  fare.  He  says,  "We  jour- 
neyed on  through  devious  lonely  wilds,  where  no 
food  might  be  found,  except  what  grew  in  the  woods, 
or    was    carried    with    us.      .      .      .      Near    midnight 

we  stopped  at  A 's  who   hissed  his  dogs  at  us. 

Brothers  Phcebus  and  Cook  took  to  the  woods.  I 
lay  along  the  floor  on  a  few  deer-skins  with  the  fleas. 
That  night  our  poor  horses  got  no  corn,  and  the 
next  morning  they  had  to  swim  across  the  Monon- 
gahela.  .  .  .  O,  how  glad  should  I  be  of  a 
plain,  clean  plank  to  lie  on,  as  preferable  to  most  of 
the  beds." 

Seven  conferences  were  held  this  year.  The  one 
at  Baltimore  was  attended  with  great  power,  and 
many  were  converted,  and  some  three  hundred  added 
to  the  Church  in  that  city.  The  increase  for  the  year 
was  11,512  members  and  thirty- three  preachers,  more 
than  double  what  it  had  ever  been  before  in  a  single 
year.  This  great  expansion  of  the  work  swelled  the 
number  of  circuits,  and  called  for  more  conferences. 
Accordingly  eleven  were  held  the  year  following,  the 
most  southernly  in  Georgia,  and  the  most  northernly 
in  New  York.  One  would  have  been  sufficient,  but 
for  the  vast  extent  of  country  embraced,  and  the  diffi- 
culty of  traveling.  But  though  averaging  less  than 
sixteen  preachers  to  each  conference,  they  all  grew 
to  unmanageable  proportions.  This  year,  circuits 
were  formed  at  Schenectady,  New  York,  and  Stam- 
ford Circuit,  indicating  progress,  or  at  least,  progress- 
ive intentions  in  these  directions. 

The  conferences  seeing  that  Mr.  Wesley  was 
afflicted   by   their   leaving  his  name  out  of  the  min- 


286  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

utes,  as  before  stated,  modified  their  action  this  year 
so  as  to  recognize  him  as  their  chief  bishop. 

CONGRATULATORY   ADDRESS    TO    WASHINGTON. 

We  have  before  hinted  at  the  suspicion  cherished 
during  the  war  in  relation  to  the  preachers,  and  the 
persecutions  they  experienced  from  that  source. 
This  being  the  year  of  the  adoption  of  the  American 
Constitution  and  the  election  of  Washington  as  first 
president,  who  was  then  attending  Congress  in  the 
City  of  New  York,  where  the  conference  was  assem- 
bled, Dr.  Coke  suggested  to  the  preachers  the  pro- 
priety of  presenting  a  congratulatory  address  to  him, 
avowing  their  approval  of  the  Constitution,  and  their 
allegiance  to  the  Government.  The  conference  warmly 
and  unanimously  accepted  it,  and  appointed  him  and 
Bishop  Asbury  to  prepare  one.  The  address  was 
promptly  written,  indorsed  by  the  conference,  and 
Thomas  Morrell  and  John  Dickins  were  delegated 
to  see  the  President,  show  him  a  copy  of  the  address, 
and  ascertain  when  it  would  suit  his  convenience  to 
receive  the  bishops,  and  hear  the  address  from  them. 
The  President  appointed  the  fourth  succeeding  day, 
at  twelve  o'clock.  They,  accordingly,  went,  and 
Bishop  Asbury  read  the  address,  to  which  the  Presi- 
dent read  his  reply.  (See  Addresses,  Bangs's  Hist., 
Vol.  I,  pp.  284,  285.)  In  a  few  days  both  docu- 
ments appeared  in  the  papers,  much  to  the  mortifica- 
tion of  other  denominations,  which,  though  old  and 
strong,  had  allowed  the  young  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  an  offshoot  from  Great  Britain,  to  lead  them 
in  paying  their  respects  to  the  first  president,  and  to 
the  government    over    which    he    presided.       They, 


CHUR  CH  OR  GANIZED.  287 

nevertheless,  followed  the  good  example  in  due  time. 
But  somebody  was  too  much  stung  by  this  circum- 
stance, or  too  prejudiced  against  Methodism  to  keep 
quiet,  and  came  out  in  the  papers,  inquiring,  Who 
is  this  Dr.  Coke  ?  who  made  him  a  bishop  ?  who 
consecrated  him  ?  etc. ,  accompanied  with  various 
charges  and  criticisms,  objecting  particularly  to  a 
British  subject  signing  an  address  approving  of  the 
American  Government.  This  gave  Mr.  Morrell  a 
fair  chance  to  tell  the  public  who  the  doctor  was, 
where  he  came  from,  what  he  was  doing,  who  the 
Methodists  were,  what  they  proposed,  and  to  vindi- 
cate the  Church.  Thus,  prejudice  contributed  again 
to  help  forward  the  cause  which  needed  just  such  an 
exposition  to  draw  attention  to  its  movements. 

If  there  was  a  little  inconsistency  in  Dr.  Coke's 
signing  the  address,  as  some  of  his  countrymen 
thought,  there  was  none  in  Bishop  Asbury's  doing 
so.  His  heart  and  citizenship  were  here,  though  a 
native  Englishman.  And  few  excelled  him  in  his 
admiration  of  Washington.  "  Matchless  man!"  said 
he.  "At  all  times  he  acknowledged  the  providence 
of  God,  and  never  was  he  ashamed  of  his  Redeemer. 
We  believe  he  died  not  fearing  death.  In  his  will 
he  ordered  the  manumission  of  his  slaves — a  true  son 
of  liberty  at  all  points."     (Journal,   Vol.  II,  p.  439.) 

METHODISM   IN   NEW  ENGLAND. 

Though  occasional  sermons  had  been  preached  in 
New  England  prior  to  1789,  no  systematic  effort  had 
been  made  to  organize  societies.  Religion  was  es- 
tablished by  law  in  two  or  three  States,  and  Church 
and  State  were  supported  by  the  community  at  large, 


288  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

and  from  a  common  treasury.  Parish  lines  were 
strictly  drawn,  and  rigid  Calvinism  was  the  prevailing 
doctrine  taught  by  the  clergy,  though  Unitarianism 
was  beginning  to  appear  at  some  points.  Of  course, 
Methodism  was  regarded  as  a  dangerous  innovation. 
In  this  state  of  affairs  Jesse  Lee  visited  Norwalk, 
Connecticut,  June  17,  1789,  and  preached  under  an 
apple-tree  in  the  road,  no  house,  either  public  or  pri- 
vate, being  opened  to  him.  The  next  day  he  rode 
to  Fairfield,  and  preached  in  the  court-house  under 
great  discouragements ;  but  after  the  meeting  he  was 
directed  by  a  lady  at  the  tavern,  where  he  stopped, 
to  visit  her  sister,  who  was  a  very  pious  woman.  He 
did  so  the  day  following,  and  found  a  little  band  of 
congenial  spirits  who  had  been  praying  for  the  com- 
ing of  some  such  preacher.  They  were  the  fruits  of 
the  labors  of  Mr.  Black,  one  of  the  preachers  who 
passed  through  the  place  on  his  way  from  Nova 
Scotia  to  Baltimore,  four  years  before.  This  gave 
him  a  grand  start  for  a  society.  The  following  Sab- 
bath he  preached  at  New  Haven  in  the  court-house, 
with  encouraging  prospects.  From  there  he  went  to 
Stratford,  Milford,  Danbury,  and  Canaan,  which 
towns,  with  some  others,  he  organized  into  a  circuit, 
forming  the  first  society  at  Stratford  on  the  26th  of 
September  following,  consisting  of  three  females,  and 
the  next  at  Reading,  consisting  of  one  male  and  one 
female.  The  first  Methodist  Church  in  New  England 
was  erected  at  Weston,  Connecticut,  and  was  called 
Lee's  Chapel.  The  following  February,  Jacob  Brush, 
George  Roberts,  and  Daniel  Smith,  came  to  his  assist- 
ance, meeting  him  at  a  quarterly -meeting  at  Dan- 
town,   where    the    power   of  God  was  so  manifested 


CHURCH  ORGANIZED.  289 

that  the  people  cried  aloud  for  mercy,  scaring-  the 
congregation  so  that  some  even  jumped  out  of  the 
windows.  Going  from  place  to  place,  preaching 
without  a  call,  notes,  pay,  or  churches,  and  making 
no  little  stir  among  the  people,  the  clergy  opened 
upon  them,  calling  them  "wolves  in  sheeps'  clothing," 
"false  prophets,  who  should  come  in  the  latter  day," 
etc.,  and  warned  the  people  to  stand  aloof.  Many, 
however,  followed  them  ;  sinners  were  converted,  and 
societies  began  to  multiply. 

Long  Island,  too,  which  was  slightly  opened  by 
Captain  Webb,  but  suffered  great  disturbances  from 
the  war,  received  new  attention,  and  entered  upon  a 
career  which  has  resulted  in  a  church  in  nearly  every 
village,  divided  now  into  two  presiding  elders'  dis- 
tricts, embracing,  at  present,  19,334  members  and 
probationers. 

A  NEW  LEGISLATIVE  PROJECT. 

The  conferences  having  multiplied,  the  difficulty 
of  doing  business  authoritatively  had  greatly  increased, 
as  no  action  of  any  one  of  them  was  valid  unless  ap- 
proved by  the  others;  and  the  gathering  of  all  the 
preachers  into  one  conference  seemed  quite  incon- 
venient, if  not  impossible.  To  meet  these  difficulties 
it  was  agreed  to  form  a  council,  to  consist  of  the 
bishops  and  presiding  elders,  with  plenary  powers  to 
act  for  the  whole  body,  under  certain  limitations.  The 
plan  was  ill-advised,  and  liable  to  many  objections. 
The  council,  however,  met  twice,  and  held  pleasant 
sessions,  but  was  found,  on  further  consideration,  to 
be  sadly  wanting,  making  the  bishops  and  their  ap- 
pointees— the  presiding  elders — legislators  as  well  as 

25 


29O  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

administrators.  It  then  gave  way,  and  its  objects 
were  afterward  provided  for  by  the  organization  of 
the  General  Conference. 

OF  BOOKS  AND  TRACTS. 

Mr.  Wesley,  as  we  have  noticed,  began  the  pub- 
lication of  religious  books  and  tracts  at  the  very  out- 
set of  his  reformatory  career,  and  required  his  assist- 
ants and  helpers  to  circulate  them.  His  followers  in 
this  country  at  first  obtained  their  supplies  from  him 
at  a  liberal  cost,  and  much  inconvenience.  But, 
having  become  an  independent  Church,  and  needing 
denominational  books,  which  he  did  not  publish, 
Rev.  John  Dickins  was  constituted  "book-steward" 
this  year,  and  commenced  the  publishing  business  in 
Philadelphia  on  a  borrowed  capital  of  six  hundred 
dollars,  which  he  loaned  to  the  conference.  He  first 
issued  Thomas  a  Kempis's  "Imitation  of  Christ," 
to  which  he  soon  added  the  "Saint's  Rest,"  "Prim- 
itive Physic,"  and  a  hymn-book,  for  use  in  the 
Churches,  to  take  the  place  of  one  previously  obtained 
of  Mr.  Wesley.  This  is  the  beginning  of  our  Book 
Concerns,  which  we  shall  hereafter  notice  more  fully 
in  a  separate  chapter. 

OTHER    EVIDENCES    OF    PROGRESS. 

The  year  1790  opened  with  196  traveling  preach- 
ers, and  43,262  members,  showing  a  considerable 
increase.  "Let  us  labor,"  said  the  conferences,  "as 
the  heart  and  soul  of  one  man,  to  establish  Sunday- 
schools."  ' '  Let  persons  be  appointed  to  teach  gratis, 
all  that  will  attend,  from  six  in  the  morning  till  ten, 
and   from   two    in    the    afternoon   till   six;"    and   the 


CHURCH  ORGANIZED.  29 1 

council  was  requested  to  compile  a  school-book  to 
"teach  learning  and  piety."  This  was  the  first 
organized  effort  to  establish  Sunday-schools  on  the 
continent.  Asbury  formed  the  first  school  of  the 
kind  four  years  before,  at  Thomas  Cranshaw's  house, 
in  Virginia.  This  was  the  beginning  of  that  magnifi- 
cent system  of  Sabbath-school  operations  which  now 
spreads  its  net-work  over  the  whole  country. 

This  was  also  a  year  of  revivals,  yielding  a  net  in- 
crease of  31  preachers,  14,369  members,  but  it 
involved  an  immense  amount  of  personal  sacrifice 
and  hard  work.  Asbury  crossed  the  Alleghany 
Mountains  again,  some  of  which  arose  before  him 
like  the  "roof  of  a  house."  He  swam  several  creeks, 
too  ;  slept  in  log  huts  and  in  the  woods,  and  traveled 
2,578  miles,  chiefly  on  horseback  (there  being  no 
railroads  or  steamboats  then),  between  December  14, 
1789,  and  April  20,  1790.  But  in  the  midst  of  his 
toils,  he  exclaimed,  "Glory!  glory  to  our  God." 
Though  he  was  surrounded  by  wild  beasts,  and  some- 
times by  murderous  Indians,  the  Lord  preserved 
him.  Returning  to  the  sea-board,  he  was  accom- 
panied by  some  fifty  others,  twenty  of  whom  were 
armed. 

THE    WORK    COMMENCED    IN    MASSACHUSETTS. 

Methodism  was  this  year  carried  to  Boston.  Mr. 
Boardman  had  preached  there  in  passing  some 
eighteen  years  before,  but  no  permanent  stand  was 
attempted.  Mr.  Lee,  having  established  several  cir- 
cuits in  Connecticut,  thought  it  time  to  try  his 
fortune  in  Massachusetts.  He  therefore  wandered 
along  through  the  country  to  Boston  uninvited   and 


292  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

unheralded.  He  was  not  met  by  the  governor's  son 
and  a  troop  of  ministers  and  honorable  citizens  ten 
miles  out  to  be  escorted  into  the  city,  as  was  White- 
field  many  years  before.  After  spending  a  week  in 
reconnoitering  to  find  a  place  to  preach,  and  being 
refused  on  every  side,  he  borrowed  a  table,  and  plac- 
it  under  the  old  elm  near  the  center  of  the  common, 
planted  himself  upon  it  in  Quakerish  costume,  and 
began  to  sing  and  pray  with  a  congregation  of  four 
persons.  At  the  close  of  the  service  it  had  increased 
to  three  thousand.  The  next  Sabbath  he  repeated 
the  experiment  in  the  same  place,  and  preached  to 
many  more;  but  his  success  was  not  great.  Though 
his  appearance  and  style  of  address  were  quite  sin- 
gular, and  calculated  to  excite  curiosity,  and  his 
doctrines  more  consistent  than  those  which  generally 
prevailed  in  the  community,  the  people  were  slow  to 
favor  his  cause. 

Rigid  Calvinism  was  then  the  prevailing  theology 
of  the  State,  and  no  man  could  hold  a  civil  office  or 
vote  who  did  not  belong  to  the  Church,  and  property 
was  taxable  to  support  the  Church,  whether  its 
owners  believed  its  doctrines  or  not.  To  favor  Meth- 
odism, therefore,  cost  one  the  sacrifice  of  every 
earthly  interest.  Only  such  as  were  brought  to  feel 
that  they  must  do  so,  or  jeopard  their  souls  dared 
to  do  it.  Those  who  believed  that  God  had  elected 
all  he  intended  to  save,  and  that  he  would  call  and 
convert  them  in  his  "own  good  time,"  regarded  the 
universal  atonement,  taught  by  Mr.  Lee,  as  a  most 
dangerous  heresy,  though  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  it 
could  be  so,  if  all  things  were  settled  from  eternity. 
The     few     who     rejected     this     doctrine,     generally 


CHURCH  ORGAXIZED. 


293 


discarded  the  divinity  of  Christ,  and  the  new  birth, 
and  could  not  receive  him  because  he  maintained 
both.  Besides,  spiritual  religion  was  extremely  low, 
the  elect  often  giving  little  better  evidence  of  piety 
than  some  who  were  accounted  reprobates.  Conver- 
sion was  not  considered  indispensable  for  ministers  of 
the  Gospel,  if  they  were  well  educated  and  were  sound 
in  the  "doctrines  of  grace;"  that  is,  in  Calvinism, 
Nor  was  it  deemed  a  necessary  prerequisite  to  partic- 
ipation in  the  Lord's-supper.  Mr.  Lee's  chances  for 
success,  therefore,  looking  on  the  human  side  of  the 
question,  were  not  very  flattering. 

But,  then,  he  had  good  common-sense — good 
sound  theology,  that  he  knew  how  to  explain  and 
defend  from  the  Bible — a  multitude  of  demonstrative 
practical  facts,  acquired  by  reading  and  observation, 
and  a  most  blessed  and  happy  present  experience 
of  the  religion  which  he  recommended  to  others. 
Though  not  a  linguist,  he  had  a  little  knowledge  of 
Dutcliy  which  he  had  picked  up  in  the  Middle  States, 
and  it  sometimes  helped  him  out.  For,  when  his 
theological  critics  addressed  him  in  Greek  or  Latin 
to  demonstrate  his  ignorance,  he  would  answer  in 
Dutch,  which  was  as  incomprehensible  to  them  as 
Greek  was  to  him.  With  these  endowments  he  was 
prepared  to  meet  every  emergency,  and  make  an 
impression  on  the  judgment  and  hearts  of  his  hearers. 
Assailing  pre-election,  pre-reprobation,  final  persever- 
ance, limited  atonement,  infant  damnation,  etc.,  fun- 
damental sentiments  of  the  day,  he  could  but  create  a 
sensation.  Then  preaching  without  notes,  and  in  the 
evening  without  a  candle,  in  the  streets  and  fields  when 
he  could  do  no  better,  a  failure  seemed  hardly  possible. 


2  94  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  THODISM. 

Yet  he  did  not  effect  a  permanent  opening,  and 
passed  on  to  Lynn,  Newburyport,  and  Portsmouth. 
On  his  return,  he  tried  Boston  again,  but  in  vain, 
and  had  to  resort  to  his  old  stand  on  the  common. 
After  attending  the  conference  in  New  York,  he 
returned  to  Boston,  where  he  spent  several  weeks  to 
secure  a  place  to  preach,  but  utterly  failed.  Every 
house  was  closed  against  him.  In  the  midst  of  these 
discouragements,  which  were  much  aggravated  by  an 
empty  purse,  he  received  a  letter  from  a  gentleman 
in  Lynn,  inviting  him  to  his  house.  This  was  a  ray 
of  light.  After  making  other  fruitless  efforts,  he  left 
and  went,  letter  in  hand,  to  Benjamin  Johnson's  in 
Lynn,  and  was  cordially  received.  Here  he  preached 
the  first  Methodist  sermon  ever  delivered  in  that  town, 
and  felt  at  home.  The  people  proposed  to  form  a 
society  at  once,  but  he  put  them  off  until  he  should 
give  unimpressible  Boston  another  trial.  February 
20,  1 79 1,  he  returned  to  Lynn,  and  formed  a  society 
of  eight  members,  which  was  increased  to  seventy  in 
three  months,  and  culminated  finally  in  the  old  Lynn 
Common  Church,  the  honored  mother  of  a  dozen 
vigorous  daughters,  still  flourishing  under  her  mater- 
nal smiles.  The  14th  of  June  following,  they  com- 
menced to  build  the  first  Methodist  Church  in  Mas- 
sachusetts. It  was  raised  on  the  21st  of  the  same 
month,  and  dedicated  on  the  26th,  though  a  mere 
wooden  shell,  without  form  or  comeliness,  but  a  great 
deal  better  than  nothing. 

Making  Lynn  his  head-quarters,  Mr.  Lee  sallied 
forth  in  all  directions,  not  overlooking  Boston,  which 
seemed  to  be  his  special  point  of  interest.  Fortu- 
nately the  ice  began  to  yield,  though  no  society  was 


CHURCH   ORGANIZED.  2g$ 

formed  there  until  the  next  year,  nor  in  any  other 
place  in  the  State  except  in  Lynn.  He  also  went  to 
Maine  and  planted  his  standard  in  that  Province. 
New  Hampshire  and  Rhode  Island,  too,  shared  his 
labors.  The  work  was  hard  and  difficult,  but  God 
was  with  him,  and  the  seed  sown  took  root  in  many 
places,  and  he  returned  to  the  south,  leaving  that 
new  field  in  such  other  hands  as  Providence  had 
furnished. 

Some  eighteen  years  after  (1808),  he  visited  it 
again,  and  found  that  it  had  ripened  into  the  New 
England  Conference,  with  six  districts;  namely,  Bos- 
ton, New  London,  Vermont,  New  Hampshire,  Port- 
land, and  Kennebeck,  presided  over  by  noble  men 
whose  names  will  never  be  forgotten,  as  follows:  John 
Brodhead,  Elijah  R.  Sabin,  Thomas  Branch,  Elijah 
Hedding,  Joshua  Soule,  and  Oliver  Beale.  He  also 
found  8,861  members.  Daniel  Webb  and  Martin 
Ruter  were  stationed,  at  Boston,  over  three  hundred 
and  forty  members,  all  of  whom  received  him  as  their 
father.  He  preached  the  first  evening  in  the  old 
church,  and  the  next  in  the  new,  and  passed  on  to  Lynn, 
to  be  greeted  by  Dan  Young,  the  pastor,  and  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy  members.  Maine  and  New  Hamp- 
shire opened  their  arms  wide  to  receive  him,  and  say 
"farewell  until  we  meet  in  heaven."  A  crowd 
attended  him  every-where,  so  that  the  churches  could 
not  accommodate  them,  and  he  preached  to  them  in 
the  forest.  He  spent  forty-three  days  in  Maine,  and 
preached  forty-seven  sermons.  Hurrying  to  New 
Hampshire,  he  preached  seven  farewell  sermons  in 
less  than  a  week,  and  about  the  same  number  in  less 
time   in   Connecticut,    when   he   fled    to   Garrettson's 


296  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

il  Travelers  Rest,"  at  Rhinebeck,  New  York.  It 
was  a  great  occasion  for  him  and  for  the  multitudes 
who  listened  to  his  patriarchal  words. 

Such  was  the  beginning  of  Methodism  in  New 
England.  It  cost  a  struggle;  and  the  struggle  has 
continued  ever  since,  though  generally  with  much 
less  heroism  and  persistence.  Less  effort  than  was 
made  by  Lee  to  plant  Methodism  in  Boston,  with  our 
present  facilities,  would  establish  a  church  in  every 
considerable  town  in  the  State. 

But  the  investment  has  paid  well,  1.  In  the  con- 
version and  organization  of  tens  of  thousands  of  sin- 
ners, some  of  whom  still  remain  in  the  Churches,  num- 
bering over  forty  thousand  in  Massachusetts  alone. 
2.  In  the  overthrow  of  a  system  of  doctrines  calcu- 
lated to  sap  the  foundation  of  all  Christian  motives 
and  enterprise,  so  that  it  is  now  maintained,  if  at  all, 
in  comparative  silence.  3.  In  the  quickening  of 
other  Christian  Churches;  most  of  whom  have  largely 
adopted  our  sentiments,  music,  and  methods  of  social 
worship  and  progress,  much  to  their  improvement 
in  all  respects.  4.  In  exploding  and  neutralizing 
sundry  other  errors  that  could  not  be  successfully 
resisted  from  the  stand-point  of  preordination,  as 
formerly  understood  and  preached. 

But  notwithstanding  these  changes  in  the  commu- 
nity for  the  better,  there  is  ample  room  for  Method- 
ists, and  our  chances  for  usefulness  were  never  more 
flattering  than  now,  provided  that  we  maintain  the 
''joy  of  salvation."  and  adhere  to  our  original  object; 
namely,  to  save  sinners.  If  we  lay  this  aside  and 
apply  ourselves  to  minor  and  collateral  interests,  how- 
ever good,    and    lower    our   spiritual   temper  to   the 


CHUR  CH  OR  GANIZED.  297 

philosophical  frigidity  of  the  times,  we  shall  fail. 
Methodism  must  be  aggressive  or  perish.  It  was 
made  for  war,  not  peace;  for  motion,  not  rest;  for 
advance,  not  retreat.  The  moment  we  become  sat- 
isfied with  ''holding  our  own,"  we  begin  to  die. 
And  when  Ave  shall  determine  in  the  spirit  of  Jesse 
Lee  to  plant  a  Church  in  every  town  where  needed, 
at  whatever  cost,  it  will  be  done.  Formerly  other 
denominations  were  afraid  of  us,  now  they  are  not. 
Christians  of  all  sects  will  welcome  us  when  they  see 
that  we  have  the  right  spirit,  and  aim  to  do  good. 


298  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

GENERAL    CONFERENCE    OF    1 792 SECESSION    OF    o' KELLY 

PROGRESS  OF  THE  WORK REMARKABLE  MEN  AND  OCCA- 
SIONS  ORIGIN  OF  CAMP-MEETINGS GENERAL  CONFER- 
ENCE   OF    1800,    ETC. 

THE  first  General  Conference  after  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Church  met  at  Baltimore,  November 
I,  1792.  It  is  called  general,  because  all  the  preach- 
ers in  full  connection  were  invited  to  attend  it.  The 
several  conferences  which  had  been  held  from  year 
to  year  were  sectional,  and  embraced  only  a  few  of 
the  preachers  near  the  place  of  meeting,  and  no 
action  was  valid  unless  indorsed  by  all  of  them. 
This  was  not  only  inconvenient,  but  dangerous  to 
the  harmony  of  the  connection.  The  council  before 
mentioned  was  designed  to  remedy  this  evil,  but  the 
preachers  were  justly  afraid  to  put  so  much  power 
into  the  hands  of  the  bishops,  and  after  two  meet- 
ings the  arrangement  was  dropped  by  common  con- 
sent, Asbury  requesting  that  it  might  never  be 
mentioned  again  in  the  conference,  though  he  was 
the  reputed  father  of  it.  Its  death  was  a  triumph 
to  liberal  views. 

This  conference,  like  its  predecessors,  was  under 
no  disciplinary  restriction,  and  had  free  course  with 
doctrine  and  discipline  to  alter  both  at  discretion. 
It  therefore  wisely  determined   at  the  outset  that  it 


REMARKABLE  MEN  AND   OCCASIONS. 


299 


should  require  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  conference 
to  make  a  new  rule  or  to  abolish  an  old  one. 

Before  noticing  the  action  of  this  body,  it  may 
be  well  to  remind  the  reader  that  it  was  but  twenty- 
six  years  previous  to  this  time  that  the  first  Meth- 
odist sermon  was  preached  in  the  country,  and  eight 
years  since  the  Church  was  organized  with  bishops, 
elders,  and  the  sacraments,  and  that  it  numbered 
266  traveling  preachers  and  65,980  members.  The 
population  of  the  country  was  then  about  four  mill- 
ions;  hence,  reckoning  three  friends  to  one  member, 
nearly  one-fifteenth  of  the  whole  people  must  have 
affiliated  with  the  Methodists,  which  indicates  a  won- 
derful growth  for  so  short  a  time.  Other  denomi- 
nations commenced  their  work  here  with  the  first 
settlement  of  the  country,  and  had  every  thing  in 
their  favor.  Methodists  began  later  and  encountered 
much  opposition,  yet  they  prospered  beyond  all  pre- 
cedent. The  secret  of  their  success  will  be  consid- 
ered hereafter. 

THE    FIRST    SECESSION ITS    CAUSE    AND    CONSEQUENCES. 

Their  itinerant  policy  was  not  tempting  to  ministe- 
rial pride  and  ambition.  Indeed,  it  was  exceedingly 
offensive  to  some,  being  in  glaring  conflict  with  the 
boasted  republicanism  of  the  day.  The  second  day 
of  the  conference,  James  O'Kelly,  a  naming  Irish- 
man, and  one  of  the  ablest  members,  introduced 
a  resolution  requiring  the  bishops  to  report  the 
appointments  of  the  preachers  to  the  conferences, 
and  to  make  changes  in  them  as  the  conferences 
might  suggest.  This  led  to  a  powerful  debate, 
which  continued   for  several   days,   when  the  resolu- 


300  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

tion  was  rejected  by  a  large  majority.  Mr.  O'Kelly 
was  offended,  and  withdrew  from  the  body.  Every 
thing  was  done  to  conciliate  him,  but  without  lasting 
effect.  After  a  time,  he  commenced  a  violent  cru- 
sade against  the  Church,  and  drew  off  several  preach- 
ers and  people — in  some  places  whole  societies;  and, 
to  secure  the  patronage  of  the  leading  political  party 
of  Virginia,  he  organized  them  under  the  imposing 
name  of  "Republican  Methodists."  But,  this  not 
working  to  his  satisfaction,  the  name  was  changed 
to  "The  Christian  Church,"  which  seemed  to  un- 
christianize  all  other  denominations,  and  brought  a 
storm  about  his  ears  that  was  not  anticipated;  but 
the  old  man  struggled  on,  abused  the  Church  from 
the  pulpit  and  in  pamphlets  in  the  severest  manner, 
and  did  an  immense  amount  of  mischief.  But  he 
found  it  easier  to  break  down  the  old  Church  than 
to  organize  a  better  one.  All  the  traveling  preach- 
ers he  took  with  him  returned  except  one,  but  the 
members  were  strangely  scattered,  so  that  the  Church 
suffered  a  decrease  during  the  four  following  years 
of  nearly  eleven  thousand.  At  length  his  popularity 
waned,  and  his  society  fell  into  differences,  and  the 
whole  thing  exploded,  having  done  much  harm  and 
little  if  any  good.  O'Kelly  died  October  16,  1826, 
in  the  ninety-second  year  of  his  age,  a  disappointed 
old  man,  not  only  mortified  with  the  failure  of  his 
own  mighty  efforts  to  establish  a  better  Church,  but 
with  the  rapid  progress  of  the  one  that  brought  him 
to  God  and  gave  him  an  honorable  position,  which 
had  increased,  since  his  defection,  in  1792,  from  266 
preachers  and  65,980  members  to  1,406  preachers 
and  360,884  members.     Bishop  Asbury,  who  seemed 


REMARKABLE   MEN  AND   OCCASIONS.  301 

to  be  the  object  of  his  special  hatred,  being  in  Vir- 
ginia, the  field  of  his  operations,  and  hearing  of  his 
sickness,  called  and  prayed  with  him,  but  without 
eliciting   any  reference    to    former  times   or  troubles. 

This  was  the  first  secession  from  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  of  any  note.  Like  all  its  succes- 
sors, it  was  on  governmental,  not  doctrinal  grounds, 
and  resulted  from  impatience  in  seeking  what  were 
considered  to  be  improvements.  The  same  question 
was  then  agitating  the  British  Conference,  and  was 
carried,  the  stationing  committee  being  required  to 
report  to  the  conference,  when  any  aggrieved  brother 
might  ask  and  receive  a  change  in  his  appointment, 
if  the  conference  deemed  it  advisable.  O'Kelly  had 
strong  supporters  —  even  a  majority,  it  is  said,  at 
first — and,  had  he  been  less  severe  and  more  patient, 
he  might  have  secured  some  satisfactory  modifica- 
tion. The  masterly  debate  elicited  by  his  propo- 
sition surprised  the  bishops,  who  had  no  idea  of  the 
ability  of  their  helpers  till  it  was  there  developed. 
Says  Bishop  Asbury:  "We  continued  our  confer- 
ence for  fifteen  days.  I  had  always  entertained  very 
high  ideas  of  the  piety  and  zeal  of  the  American 
preachers,  and  of  the  considerable  abilities  of  many; 
but  I  had  no  expectation,  I  confess,  that  the  de- 
bates would  be  carried  on  in  so  masterly  a  manner." 
Some  unpleasant  feelings  were  excited,  but,  after  all, 
peace  generally  prevailed. 

But  the  effects  of  this  movement  did  not  soon 
disappear.  Some  who  seceded  lost  their  religion 
and  their  souls,  we  fear;  others,  who  retained  some 
regard  for  the  cause,  became  too  much  disaffected  to 
be  at  home  and  useful  in  any  Church,  while  a  preju- 


302  HISTORY   OF  METHODISM. 

dice  was  created  against  Methodism  and  religion 
itself,  in  the  community,  that  was  not  easily  over- 
come. But  it  settled  the  question  of  appeal  from 
the  appointment  of  the  bishops  for  some  time. 

We  hear  no  more  of  restricting  the  appointing 
power  until  the  year  1800,  when  Dr.  Coke  intro- 
duced it,  and  finally  recommended  that  the  new 
bishop  (not  applying  it  at  all  to  Bishop  Asbury)  be 
assisted  in  making  the  appointments  by  a  committee 
of  three  or  four  preachers  to  be  chosen  by  the  con- 
ference. This  was  rejected,  with  several  propositions 
of  like  effect.  The  next  that  was  heard  about  re- 
stricting the  appointing  power  was  in  the  year  1808, 
when  it  was  proposed  so  to  alter  the  Discipline  as  to 
allow  the  conferences  to  elect  the  presiding  elders. 
This  proposition  was  ably  discussed,  and  rejected 
by  a  vote  of  seventy-three  to  fifty-two.  In  18 12,  the 
same  question  was  again  introduced,  and,  after  a 
thorough  discussion,  the  proposition  was  rejected 
by  a  majority  of  only  three.  Four  years  later,  it 
met  the  same  fate,  though  it  was  presented  in  a 
modified  form.  In  1820,  it  was  again  discussed,  and 
disposed  of  as  before;  but,  there  being  considerable 
feeling  on  the  subject,  it  was  called  up  again  in  the 
spirit  of  compromise,  and  referred  to  a  committee 
composed  of  an  equal  number  of  brethren  of  differ- 
ent views,  to  confer  with  the  bishops  and  strike  out 
some  course  that  might  conciliate  all  parties.  Their 
report  recommended  that  on  the  occurrence  of  vacan- 
cies in  the  presiding  eldership,  the  presiding  bishop 
should  nominate  three  times  the  number  wanted, 
out  of  which  the  conference  should  elect  the  neces- 
sary number  by  ballot,  and  the  presiding  elders  thus 


REMARKABLE  MEN  AND   OCCASIONS.  303 

elected  should  be  an  advisory  council  to  the  bishops 
in  appointing  the  preachers.  The  report  was  adopted 
by  a  vote  of  sixty-one  in  favor  to  twenty-five  against 
it,  and  it  was  supposed  this  would  put  the  question 
to  rest,  perhaps  forever. 

But  this  was  not  the  case.  Bishop  Soule,  who 
had  been  elected  to  the  episcopal  office  a  few  days 
previous,  signified  to  the  conference  that  he  thought 
the  measure  unconstitutional,  and  he  should  not  con- 
form to  it.  Bishop  M'Kendree,  in  a  feeble  state  of 
health,  urged  that  it  was  unconstitutional,  and  sub- 
versive of  the  superintendency,  and  also  of  the  itin- 
erancy. The  former  tendered  his  resignation,  which 
was  accepted,  and  the  conference  adhered  to  its  posi- 
tion; but,  considering  the  age  of  Bishop  M'Kendree, 
the  decision  of  Bishop  Soule,  and  the  anxiety  of 
many  others,  it  was  voted  to  suspend  the  new  rule 
for  four  years.  The  next  General  Conference  con- 
tinued the  suspension;  but,  in  1828,  the  rule  was 
rescinded,  since  which  little  has  been  attempted  on 
the  subject. 

The  first  General  Conference  was  composed  of  all 
the  traveling  preachers  who  pleased  to  attend.  In 
the  year  1800,  it  was  limited  to  those  who  had 
traveled  four  years.  In  1808,  it  was  agreed  that  it 
should  be  composed  in  future  of  one  delegate  for 
every  five  members  of  each  annual  conference.  The 
ratio  of  representation  has  since  been  altered,  as  the 
ministry  has  increased  in  number.  It  is  now  one 
clerical  delegate  to  every  forty-five  members,  besides 
several  lay  delegates,  and  the  conference  assembles 
May  1st,  once  in  four  years,  and  is  governed  by  a 
constitution,    limiting    its    powers,    adopted    also    in 


304  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

1808.  This  constitution  is  popularly  known  as  the 
"Restrictive  Rules,"  and  may  be  seen  in  the  Disci- 
pline, in  the  section  which  defines  the  duties  and 
powers  of  the  General  Conference. 

PROGRESS    OF   THE    WORK. 

Taking  our  leave  of  the  conference  of  1792,  we 
move  pleasantly  along  amid  labors  and  triumphs 
for  many  years.  The  men  on  whom  it  devolved  to 
command,  in  those  days,  were  extraordinary  charac- 
ters. Dr.  Coke,  Bishop  Asbury,  Jesse  Lee,  George 
Roberts,  Freeborn  Garrettson,  Ezekiel  Cooper,  Ben- 
jamin Abbott,  and  others,  acted  a  chivalrous  part, 
and  left  their  successors  an  example  of  prudent  legis- 
lation and  of  heroic  effort  that  can  never  be  for- 
gotten. New  England  was  about  the  hardest  field 
they  found  to  cultivate;  but  even  this  yielded  to 
their  perseverance,  and  many  societies  were  organ- 
ized. Methodists  in  two  of  these  States  were  obliged 
to  pay  their  parish  taxes  to  support  the  Calvinistic 
clergy,  have  their  property  attached,  or  go  to  jail. 
Several  distinguished  men,  known  to  the  writer,  have 
passed  away  within  a  few  years,  who  submitted  to 
imprisonment,  because  they  could  not  conscientiously 
pay  taxes  to  support  a  system  they  believed  to  be 
false  and  dangerous,  the  parish  thinking  a  little 
prison  discipline  would  have  a  better  effect  in  subdu- 
ing their  obstinacy  than  the  loss  of  a  few  articles 
of  property  which  it  might  have  taken.  Others 
had  their  goods  seized  to  meet  parish  claims, 
when  it  was  known  they  were  Methodists,  and 
supported  Methodist  preaching.  But  this  state  of 
things   could  not  long  endure.     The  "right  of  peti- 


REMARKABLE  MEN  AND  OCCASIONS.  305 

tion"  had  not  then  been  trampled  down,  and  Method- 
ists, and  others  who  were  not  so  wedded  to  popu- 
lar views  as  to  be  blind  to  the  claims  of  justice, 
prayed  the  honorable  court  of  legislation  to  allow 
them  to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of 
their  own  consciences.  They  were  only  ridiculed  at 
first,  but  afterward  they  succeeded  in  throwing  off 
the  yoke,  and  securing  the  right  of  thinking  for  them- 
selves, and  sustaining  such  views  and  modes  of  wor- 
ship as  they  considered  Scriptural.  How  much  the 
various  classes  of  dissenters  in  Massachusetts  and 
Connecticut  owe  to  the  Methodists  for  the  liberties 
they  have  long  enjoyed  in  this  particular,  they  can  not 
now  realize. 

Methodism  was  little  less  troublesome  by  reason 
of  its  Arminian  theology  than  by  its  methods.  It 
broke  over  parish  lines,  that  had  been  drawn  by 
law  with  great  precision,  and  planted  itself  wherever 
sinners  could  be  induced  to  repent  and  believe  the 
Gospel.  And  its  ministry,  instead  of  taking  any  par- 
ticular location,  ransacked  the  whole  country,  and 
excited  the  people  to  think  about  their  souls.  All 
these  things,  and  many  others,  created  a  prejudice, 
and  brought  out  the  clergy  in  violent  resistance  of 
the  new  measures.  The  pulpit  rang  with  denuncia- 
tions of  Methodism.  Its  real  views  were  misrepre- 
sented; its  errors  were  magnified;  its  ministers  decried 
as  the  false  prophets  and  deceivers  that  should  come, 
and  its  assemblies  persecuted  and  scattered.  But, 
nevertheless,  the  Lord  converted  some,  and  the  cause 
lived,  not  to  be  loved,  we  fear,  by  the  dominant 
sect,  but  to  be  more  patiently  endured,  if  not  re- 
spected.     And  not   only  so,  but  it    lived   to  modify 

26 


306  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

the  body  that  at  first  repelled  it  with  the  greatest 
virulence  and  force.  Not  that  it  was  entirely  con- 
verted to  the  new  faith  or  modes  of  operation,  but 
it  became  so  essentially  improved  in  its  public  in- 
structions, and  various  movements  for  the  conversion 
of  souls,  as  to  look  very  unlike  its  former  self. 
This,  we  trust,  will  not  be  denied.  It  has  been  rec- 
ognized on  both  sides  of  the  house.  Methodists 
have  rejoiced  to  see  their  theology  and  ecclesias- 
tical regimen  transforming  and  imbuing  other  sys- 
tems, and  the  rigid  Calvinist  has  mourned  over  the 
defection  of  his  people,  and  longed  for  the  good  old 
days,  now,  alas  !   forever  gone. 

In  other  States  and  territories  Methodism  had  less 
of  this  kind  of  opposition  to  resist.  Much  of  the 
country  was  new,  and  Methodists  were  permitted  to 
take  an  even  start  with  other  Christian  sects.  The 
result  was,  in  many  places  they  commanded  the  faith 
and  affections  of  the  people,  and  have  been  the  lead- 
ing denomination  ever  since,  proving  the  superior 
adaptation  of  their  system  to  convert  men  to  God, 
where  it  can  have  an  "open  field  and  fair  play,"  by 
exceeding  all  its  competitors  in  rapid  growth  and 
influence. 

Dr.  Bangs  speaks  of  its  early  conflicts  in  these 
words : 

"For  some  time  the  number  of  Methodists  in 
this  country  was  so  inconsiderable  that  other  denom- 
inations affected  to  treat  them  with  silent  contempt; 
and  if,  occasionally,  they  condescended  to  notice 
them  at  all,  it  was  more  in  the  way  of  caricature  and 
misrepresentation  than  by  sober  argument,  or  an  at- 
tempt at  a  fair  and  direct  refutation  of  their  doctrine 


REMARKABLE  MEN  AXD  OCCASIONS.  307 

and  usages.  The  high  churchman  would  sneer  at 
our  ordination,  and,  wrapping  himself  in  the  cloak  of 
apostolical  succession,  with  an  air  of  assumed  dig- 
nity, prate  about  'John  Wesley's  lay  bishops,'  as 
though  these  jokes  were  sufficient  to  put  us  out  of 
countenance.  Others,  panoplied  in  the  stern  decrees 
of  Calvin,  and  priding  themselves  in  their  exclusive 
orthodoxy,  would  tantalize  us,  'with  salvation  by  the 
merit  of  good  works,  the  omnipotency  of  free-will, 
and  the  unsoundness  of  our  doctrine  of  justifica- 
tion;' while  some  would  smile  at  'baby  baptism,'  as 
an  affront  offered  to  the  Deity,  and  an  innovation 
upon  apostolic  usage." 

OF    CHURCH    LEGISLATION. 

In  respect  to  Church  legislation  in  the  early  times 
of  which  we  are  speaking,  it  needs  only  be  said  it 
was  moderate;  consisting  in  those  slight  changes 
which  the  progress  of  the  cause  seemed  to  demand. 
The  General  Conference  of  1796  contemplated  the 
numerous  locations  that  had  annually  occurred  with 
deep  regret.  And  yet,  while  the  labor  was  so  ex- 
cessively hard,  the  fare  so  poor,  and  the  liability  of 
premature  old  age,  with  poverty  and  want,  was  so 
great,  there  was  little  room  to  complain.  To  relieve 
these  difficulties,  and,  if  possible,  check  the  tendency 
to  location,  the  conference  established  what  is  now 
known  as  the  "Chartered  Fund,"  and  provided  for 
an  address  to  the  people  to  meet  the  emergency,  by 
contributing  of  their  substance.  Though  this  meas- 
ure did  not  make  up  the  deficiencies  of  the  preach- 
ers' claims,  it  did  something  toward  it,  and  has  since 
afforded  partial  relief;  but  whether  it   has    not  been 


308  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

the  occasion  of  more  withholding  on  the  part  of  the 
people  is  a  question. 

This  fund  is  held  by  an  incorported  Board  of 
Trustees  located  in  Philadelphia  (all  laymen),  and 
amounted  in  1872,  to  #40,117.75-,  well  invested. 
The  interest  is  distributed  annually  among-  the  con- 
ferences, each  receiving  the  same  amount.  (See 
Journal  for  1872,  pp.  707-709.) 

While  we  are  obliged  to  admire  the  management 
of  the  preachers  in  those  early  times,  it  does  seem  as 
though  they  were  too  timid  in  asking  for  the  bare  ne- 
cessities of  life.  Allowing  themselves  to  receive  only 
the  merest  trifle,  prohibiting  funeral  and  marriage 
fees,  or  even  personal  presents,  how  could  they  ex- 
pect preachers  without  property  and  with  families 
to  give  all  their  time  to  the  ministry?  Locations  were 
the  necessary  result  of  thus  shutting  off  providential 
supplies,  and  the  increase  of  members  was  propor- 
tionally greater  than  the  increase  of  preachers.  But 
fortunately  for  the  cause  the  preachers  did  not  quit 
preaching  when  they  left  the  itinerancy. 

INCIDENTS    OF    THE    WORK. 

Nineteen  conferences  were  held  in  1793,  fourteen 
the  following  year,  and  seven  the  next,  when  they 
varied  from  seven  to  nine  per  year.  The  boundaries 
of  them  were  not  then  specifically  defined,  and 
preachers  belonged  to  districts,  rather  than  confer- 
ences, until  1802,  when  the  minutes  indicated  their 
conference  also.  In  1793,  all  of  New  York,  New 
England,  and  Canada,  belonged  to  the  New  York 
Conference.  That  year  New  England  was  divided 
into   two   districts,    and  placed  in  charge  of  Ezekiel 


REMARKABLE  MEN  AND  OCCASIONS.  309 

■ 
Cooper  and  George  Roberts,  while  Lee,  who  opened 
up  the  territory,  as  we  have  shown,  was  stationed  in 
the  province  of  Maine  and  Lynn,  a  pretty  broad  field 
for  one  station  and  one  man.  Roberts  was  soon 
prosecuted  and  fined  for  performing  the  marriage 
ceremony;  but  this  only  hastened  the  overthrow  of 
denominationaal  tyranny.  This  year,  too,  the  New 
London  Circuit  was  formed,  with  a  class  of  fifty  mem- 
bers. Also  the  Warren  Circuit,  including  half  a 
dozen  towns,  which  gave  birth  the  following  year  to 
the  first  Methodist  Church  in  Rhode  Island,  located 
at  Warren.  That  State  was  settled  by  Roger  Will- 
iams, an  exile  from  Massachusetts,  settled  for  con- 
science' sake,  and  it  was  open  to  all  classes.  And 
though  the  Baptists  were  in  the  majority,  and  were 
much  given  to  proselyting,  Methodists  could  cope 
with  them  as  they  have  not  always  been  able  to  do ; 
for  their  Disicipline  then  contained  the  following 
wise  provision: 

"  Question  46.  What  shall  be  done  with  those  who 
were  baptized  in  their  infancy,  but  have  now  scruples 
concerning  the  validity  of  infant  baptism  ? 

"Answer.  Remove  their  scruples  by  argument  if 
you  can;  if  not,  the  office  may  be  performed  by  im- 
mersion or  sprinkling,  as  the  person  desires."  (His. 
of  Dis.  of  1843,  p.  45.) 

Methodism  was  introduced  singularly  enough  to 
Providencetown,  Cape  Cod,  in  1795,  by  one  of  the 
preachers  who  was  driven  into  the  harbor  by  con- 
trary winds.  But  wicked  men  did  not  want  it,  and 
seized  the  timber  gathered  for  the  first  church,  and 
nearly  destroyed  it ;  but  this  probably  turned  to  the 
furtherance    of   the    cause.       All    these    places    now 


3  I O  HI  ST  OR  V  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

have    churches,    which    hardly    indicate    so    small    a 
beginning. 

REMARKABLE  MEN  AND  OCCASIONS. 

But  it  was  not  in  ordinary  men  to  stem  the  tide 
of  sin  and  ignorance  that  generally  prevailed  through 
the  country.  God,  therefore,  raised  up  peculiar 
characters,  and  endowed  them  to  meet  the  emergency. 
Calvin  Wooster  was  one  of  them,  whose  fervency 
of  spirit  led  him  to  volunteer  as  a  missionary  to 
Upper  Canada.  After  lodging  twenty-two  nights  in 
the  wilderness,  he  arrived  with  his  companion,  Sam- 
uel Coate,  on  the  Bay  of  Quinte,  just  in  time  to 
attend  a  quarterly-meeting.  After  preaching,  he  re- 
mained in  the  meeting  to  pray  for  inquirers,  while 
the  presiding  elder,  Darius  Dunham,  retired  to  hold 
a  conference  with  the  official  brethren.  While  thus 
engaged,  the  power  of  God  fell  on  the  people,  and 
filled  many  with  joy  unspeakable,  who  praised  the 
Lord  aloud.  Others  fell  prostrate  on  the  floor.  The 
elder  coming  in,  and  beholding  this  tumultuous  state 
of  things,  kneeled  down  and  began  to  pray  to  God 
to  "stop  the  wild-fire,"  as  he  called  it.  In  the  mean 
time,  brother  Wooster  whispered  out  in  prayer, 
"Lord,  bless  brother  Dunham!  Lord,  bless  brother 
Dunham!"  After  some  minutes  he  prevailed,  and 
brother  Dunham  fell  on  the  floor,  and  was  filled  with 
the  Spirit.  This  fire  he  carried  all  around  his  district, 
to  the  joy  of  many  souls. 

Mr.  Wooster  was  eminently  a  man  of  prayer,  and 
was  often  heard  in  the  night  pleading  for  the  salva- 
tion of  sinners.  Such,  indeed,  was  his  fervency,  that 
the  wicked  could  not  stand  before  him.     They  would 


REMARKABLE  MEN  AND  OCCASIONS.  311 

either  flee  or  cry  for  mercy.  Other  preachers  were 
much  like  him  in  this  particular.  While  one  was 
preaching  in  that  neighborhood,  a  trifling  man  com- 
menced to  swear,  and  otherwise  disturb  the  meeting. 
The  preacher  paid  no  attention  to  him  for  a  while; 
but  feeling  strong  in  God,  he  at  length  suddenly 
stopped,  and,  fixing  his  piercing  eye  on  the  offender, 
stamping  his  foot,  and  pointing  his  finger  at  him  with 
great  energy,  he  cried  out,  "My  God!  smite  Jiim  /" 
The  man  instantly  fell  to  the  floor,  as  if  shot,  when 
such  power  overwhelmed  the  congregation  that  sin- 
ners roared  for  mercy  on  every  side.  (Bangs's  His., 
Vol.  II,    pp.   72-74.) 

In  1798,  Wooster  finished  his  course,  saying, 
"The  nearer  I  draw  to  eternity,  the  brighter  heaven 
shines  upon  me."  It  is  said  that  when  so  weak  that 
he  could  only  whisper,  his  whispered  words  an- 
nounced to  the  congregation  by  another  would  over- 
whelm sinners  so  that  they  would  sometimes  fall  to 
the  floor.  His  history,  written  by  himself,  and  found 
among  his  papers,  is  as  follows : 

"Hezekiah  Calvin  Wooster  was  born  May  20, 
1 771;  convicted  of  sin  October  9,  1 791  ;  born  again 
December  1,   1791;  sanctified  February  6,    1792." 

The  year  1793  brought  Henry  Boehm  to  the 
saving  knowledge  of  the  truth,  who  afterward  entered 
the  ministry,  and  but  recently  celebrated  the  cen- 
tennial anniversary  of  his  life.  Acting  as  circuit 
preacher,  presiding  elder,  and  traveling  companion  to 
Bishop  Asbury  for  several  years,  he  has  personally 
seen  more  of  American  Methodism  than  any  living 
man.  Still,  he  retains  the  old  fire  which  made  him 
happy  in  the  days  of  his  strength,  when  he  endured 


312  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

hardness  as  a  good  soldier  of  the  cross,  traveling  on 
horseback  from  State  to  State,  with  few  of  the  com- 
forts of  life  to  cheer  him.  While  he  has  lacked  the 
eccentricity,  oratory,  or  brilliancy  which  throng  the 
steps  of  some  men,  he  has  maintained  a  joyous,  self- 
sacrificing  piety,  with  a  dignified,  Scriptural,  power- 
ful ministry,  that  has  won  him  friends  and  admirers 
every-where,  and  rendered  him  mighty  to  the  pulling 
down  of  strongholds.  He  is  the  honored  representa- 
tive of  a  large  class  of  preachers,  who  will  rank 
higher  in  heaven  than  some  who  have  been  more 
distinguished  on  earth. 

THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF    I  796. 

It  convened  at  Baltimore,  and  was  composed  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  members.  To  this  time  the 
bishops  had  held  as  many  annual  conferences  as  they 
deemed  necessary.  Here  they  were  reduced  to  six, 
and  their  names  and  bounds  determined.  This  con- 
ference also  adopted  and  printed  a  deed  to  secure 
Church  property  to  its  intended  use,  which  has  con- 
tributed very  much  to  the  welfare  of  Methodism, 
exploding  the  slander  that  the  bishops  owned  the 
churches,  and  preventing  malcontents  from  perverting 
them  to  improper  uses.  Besides,  it  forbade  the  sale 
and  use  of  intoxicating  liquors  by  members  of  the 
Church,  though  this  was  more  than  thirty  years  be- 
fore the  commencement  of  the  public  reformation  on 
this  question,  which  is  still  in  progress. 

FIRST  CONFERENCES    IN  NEW  ENGLAND. 

The  first  conference  in  New  England  was  held  in 
Wilbraham,    Massachusetts,   in    1797;    but  owing  to 


REMARKABLE  MEN  AND  OCCASIONS.  313 

the  illness  of  Bishop  Asbury,  Jesse  Lee  presided,  at 
his  request,  and  by  vote  of  the  conference.  But  the 
whole  membership  in  New  England,  at  that  time, 
was  less  than  three  thousand,  and  of  Massachusetts 
only  about  nine  hundred.  Two  years  after,  another 
conference  convened  at  Readfield,  Maine,  when  Ver- 
gennes,  in  Vermont,  and  Providence,  in  Rhode 
Island,  were  added  to  the  list  of  circuits,  showing 
that  the  cause  was  advancing,  though  slowly.  The 
amount  of  labor  and  sacrifice  involved  in  these  be- 
ginnings is  incredible. 

ORIGIN   OF   CAMP-MEETINGS. 

The  year  1799  was  distinguished  for  the  origina- 
tion of  ''camp  meetings."  This  wonderful  means 
of  grace  was  providential  in  its  conception.  Two 
brothers  by  the  name  of  M'  Gee,  one  a  Presbyterian 
minister,  and  the  other  a  Methodist,  went  to  attend 
a  sacramental  occasion  with  Rev.  Mr.  M' Gready,  a 
Presbyterian  minister  in  West  Tennessee.  The  Meth- 
odist preached  first,  and  was  followed  by  the  Presby- 
terian and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hoge,  whose  preaching 
produced  a  powerful  effect.  One  woman  became  so 
deeply  impressed  she  shouted  aloud  for  joy,  and 
there  were  other  demonstrations  of  an  extraordinary 
character.  Messrs.  M'Gready,  Hoge,  and  Rankins, 
all  Presbyterian  ministers,  left  the  house;  but  the 
M'Gees  remained  to  see  the  salvation  of  God.  Great 
was  the  power  that  rested  upon  them.  John  was 
expected  to  preach,  but  he  told  the  people  that  his 
feelings  were  such  he  could  not,  and  sat  down  amid 
sobs  and  cries  from  every  quarter.  This  brought 
the  people  out  to  see  what  these  things  might  mean. 

27 


3  1 4  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

Many  came  a  great  distance  with  horses  and  wagons 
and  provisions;  and  so  numerous  was  the  crowd  the 
church  would  not  contain  them.  This  drove  them 
into  the  forest ;  and  the  distance  of  many  from  home, 
and  the  impossibility  of  obtaining  accommodations 
among  the  people,  made  it  necessary  for  them  to 
camp  out. 

This  was  something  new,  and  attracted  great 
attention.  And  it  was  no  less  effective.  The  differ- 
ent denominations,  seeing  that  God  was  in  the  meas- 
ure, gave  it  their  countenance ;  but  one  after  another 
withdrew,  until  it  was  left  almost  exclusively  to  the 
Methodists.  Since  that  time  they  have  employed  it 
to  good  purpose,  notwithstanding  its  old  friends  have 
said  many  hard  things  against  it.  In  the  early  days 
o£  Methodism,  when  meeting-houses  were  few  and 
preachers  scarce,  camp-meetings  were  peculiarly 
useful.  Hundreds  were  converted  through  their  in- 
strumentality. In  the  course  of  the  eight  years  fol- 
lowing their  introduction,  the  net  increase  to  the 
Church  was  eighty-two  thousand  six  hundred  and 
sixty-four  members,  and  a  corresponding  increase  of 
preachers. 

The  manner  in  which  the  Spirit  wrought  upon  the 
people  at  these  meetings  did  more  to  convince  them 
that  Methodism  was  of  God  than  all  other  means. 
Infidels  and  worldly  professors  would  go  out  to  see 
for  themselves,  proudly  feeling  that  they  could  not 
be  moved,  and  yet  in  half  an  hour  would  be  over- 
whelmed with  conviction.  A  gentleman  and  lady 
visiting  one,  full  of  self-conceit,  jocosely  agreed  if 
one  of  them  should  fall,  the  other  should  stand  by 
and  not  leave.     They  had  not  been  there  long  before 


REMARKABLE  MEN  AND  OCCASIONS.  3  1 5 

the  lady  fell,  and  the  funny  gentleman,  false  to  his 
pledge,  left  in  hot  haste,  but  had  not  proceeded  far 
before  he  went  down  also,  and  was  soon  surrounded  by 
the  praying  multitude.  With  some  such  earnest  con- 
victions terminating  in  the  joys  of  salvation,  and  a 
new  heart,  it  was  not  easy  to  doubt  the  divine  reality 
of  the  work.  Nor  was  it  easy  for  observers  to  doubt 
who  felt  nothing  of  the  kind,  when  they  saw  their 
godless  neighbors  transformed  in  this  manner.  Camp- 
meetings  did  more  in  this  way  in  support  of  real 
orthodoxy  than  all  the  reasonings  of  the  ages. 

They  were  particularly  adapted  to  the  western 
wilderness.  Following  the  early  emigrants,  without 
churches,  they  furnished  great  occasions,  which  were 
not  then  very  frequent,  and  called  together  all  sorts 
of  people  for  hundreds  of  miles  around.  Many  get- 
ting converted  would  return  home  with  new  hearts 
and  commence  meetings,  inviting  the  preachers  to 
come  and  see  them.  In  this  way  the  foundation 
of  many  societies  was  laid  that  never  would  have 
been  heard  of  but  for  camp-meetings.  These  meet- 
ings were  just  the  thing  for  the  times  and  the  country. 

And  they  are  hardly  less  popular  or  valuable  now 
that  we  have  so  many  churches.  Bringing  together 
the  more  devout  of  our  preachers  and  people,  they 
affect  many  who  could  not  be  reached  at  home. 
Besides,  they  help  to  promote  spiritual  life  in  the 
Churches.  God  grant  that  they  may  never  be  per- 
verted and  employed  for  secular  purposes! 

GENERAL    CONFERENCE    OF    I 800. 

Bishop  Asbury's  advancing  age  and  abounding 
labors,  involving  some  six  thousand  miles  of  travel  a 


3  1 6  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

year,  generally  on  horse-back  in  rain  and  snow, 
swimming  rivers  and  creeks,  sleeping  in  huts  and 
barns  and  in  the  forest,  together  with  "the  care  of 
all  the  Churches,"  Dr.  Coke  being  absent  from 
the  country  most  of  the  time,  was  telling  terribly  on 
his  health.  Indeed,  he  would  have  died  long  before, 
but  for  his  indomitable  will  and  zeal  for  God.  In 
view  of  his  extreme  feebleness,  he  determined  to 
resign  his  office,  drop  back  into  the  ranks  at  this 
conference,  and  let  younger  and  stronger  men  take 
his  place.  But  the  conference  loved  the  bishop  for  his 
noble,  self-sacrificing  heroism,  and  avowing  it,  en- 
treated him  to  hold  fast,  and  do  what  his  health  would 
permit.  Seeing  the  cordiality  with  which  this  was 
done,  the  bishop  waived  his  purpose  and  continued. 

Dr.  Coke  was  also  in  some  uncertainty  as  to  his 
course.  He  was  fully  committed  to  the  conference 
by  previous  engagements.  But  the  British  Confer- 
ence had  earnestly  desired  his  release  and  return  to 
England.  He  had  been  vibrating  between  the  two 
countries  ever  since  he  came  out  in  1784.  After 
much  deliberation,  the  conference  consented  to  his 
return,  on  the  condition  that  he  should  come  back 
as  soon  as  practicable,  certainly  by  the  next  General 
Conference.  This  left  the  Church  with  only  one 
available  bishop,  and  he  broken  down  with  years  and 
labors.      One  more  certainly  must  be  elected. 

This  brought  up  another  question;  namely, 
should  he  be  equal  in  authority,  or  only  an  assist- 
ant and  subordinate.  After  much  conversation,  it 
was  determined,  very  fortunately  for  Methodism,  that 
he  should  be  in  every  way  equal  in  power  with  his 
senior    in    office.      This    settled    the    policy    of    the 


REMARKABLE  MEN  AND  OCCASIONS.  317 

Church  on  this  important  point,  which  has  been 
maintained  to  the  present  day,  thus  blocking  further 
imitation  of  the  English  Church  in  this  direction,  and 
keeping  out  of  our  vocabulary  the  high-sounding 
titles  of  archbishops,  prelates,  etc. 

RICHARD    WHATCOAT    ELECTED    BISHOP. 

This  done,  the  conference  proceeded  to  ballot  for 
a  bishop,  giving  a  tie  vote  for  Richard  Whatcoat, 
whom  Mr.  Wesley  had  appointed  to  the  office  several 
years  before,  and  Jesse  Lee,  the  pioneer  of  New 
England.  On  the  second  ballot  Whatcoat  wras 
elected  by  fifty-nine  votes  against  fifty-five  cast  for 
Lee,  and  was  duly  consecrated  on  the  18th  of  May 
by  Bishops  Coke  and  Asbury,  assisted  by  several 
elders.  Both  were  true  men  and  every  way  worthy 
of  the  office.  Whatcoat  was  an  Englishman,  assisted 
in  the  organization  of  the  Church,  and  was,  at  his 
consecration,  sixty-four  years  of  age.  All  would 
probably  have  voted  for  him,  but  for  the  fact  that 
Lee  was  his  equal  in  all  respects, — an  American  by 
birth  and  in  his  sympathies,  and  a  younger  man. 

OTHER    MEASURES    ADOPTED. 

This  Conference  advanced  the  preachers  allowance 
from  sixty-four  to  eighty  dollars  per  year;  recom- 
mended the  supply  of  parsonages  and  heavy  furni- 
ture; rescinded  the  rule  requiring  the  preachers  to 
give  an  account  of  their  presents;  required  preachers 
to  travel  four  years  in  order  to  be  members  of  the 
General  Conference;  authorized  the  ordination  of 
African  preachers  to  deacons  orders;  fixed  the 
boundaries  of  seven  annual  conferences,  including  the 


5  1 8  HIST  OR  Y  OF  METHODISM. 

New  England,  which  it  created  out  of  territory  before 
covered  by  the  New  York  Conference. 

REMARKABLE    SUCCESS    REALIZED. 

At  the  close  of  the  General  Conference  every 
man  went  to  his  work  in  improved  confidence,  and 
God  poured  out  his  spirit  in  a  wonderful  manner. 
New  and  mighty  men  were  brought  into  the  field; 
camp-meetings  were  pressed,  especially  in  the  West, 
with  William  M'Kendree,  like  a  flame  of  fire,  leading 
the  hosts.  Strange  and  convincing  results,  similar  to 
those  which  occurred  in  the  great  revival  under  Pres- 
ident Edwards,  sixty  years  before,  appeared  on  every 
side,  and  many  were  converted.  The  net  increase  in 
the  three  years  following  was  761  traveling  preachers, 
and  39,176  members,  which  was  more  than  136 
members  to  each  of  the  287  ministers  in  the  field  in 
1800,  and  equal  to  an  increase,  with  our  present  num- 
ber of  ministers,  to  nearly  one  million  and  a  half  of 
members  in  the  same  length  of  time. 

New  Hampshire  and  Vermont  shared  largely  in 
the  work,  as  did  Canada.  O'Kelley's  pestiferous 
influence  had  begun  to  wane  in  the  South,  and  order 
and  revivals  succeeded  as  in  other  days. 

THE    BEGINNING    OF    PRO-SLAVERY    MOBS. 

This  year,  however,  commenced  a  series  of 
troubles  with  slavery,  from  which  the  Church  and  the 
country  have  not  yet  fully  recovered,  in  the  shape 
of  a  pro-slavery  mob.  John  Harper,  who  was 
stationed  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  received 
some  pamphlets  from  the  North,  proposing  to  mem- 
oralize   the    legislature   against    slavery,    and   burned 


REMARKABLE  MEN  AXD  OCCASIOXS.  319 

them.  But  the  people  having  heard  about  them,  a 
mob  gathered;  and,  failing  to  find  him,  seized  his 
colleague,  George  Dougherty,  took  him  to  a  street- 
pump,  and  would  probably  have  drowned  him,  but 
for  the  intervention  of  a  pious  woman  by  the  name 
of  Kingsley,  who  placed  herself  between  the  minister 
and  mob,  and  stuffed  her  shawl  into  the  spout  and 
stopped  the  water.  Seeing  her  intrepidity,  a  gentle- 
man stepped  forward,  sword  in  hand,  and  led  him 
away,  no  one  daring  to  interfere.  He,  however,  died 
from  the  wetting  and  exposure;  and  his  persecutors 
seemed  to  fall  under  the  curse  of  God;  but  their 
miserable  deaths  did  not  prevent  the  repetition  of 
these  transactions  afterward  in  the  same  city. 

PATIENCE    AND    FORBEARANCE   TRIUMPHANT. 

There  was,  also,  a  little  trouble  in  Philadelphia; 
leading  to  the  withdrawal  of  several  members,  who 
started  what  was  called  the  " Academy  Station"  It 
would  hardly  be  worth  naming,  but  for  the  kind  spirit 
with  which  they  were  treated  by  the  authorities  and 
the  result.  Having  had  their  way  for  a  few  years, 
and  been  tenderly  indulged,  they  dropped  into 
line,  and  the  matter  ended  without  a  rupture.  A 
noble  example  of  Christian  forbearance  worthy  of 
imitation. 

The  reader  who  remembers  our  notice  of  Lee's 
efforts  to  organize  a  society  in  Boston  will  be  interested 
to  know  that,  after  all  his  failures,  the  Xew  England 
Conference,  consisting  of  thirty-five  preachers,  met 
there  in  1803,  representing  2,941  members;  and,  what 
was  of  no  little  importance,  were  affiliated  with 
a  growing   American   Church   of    104,070   members, 


3  20  HIS  TOR  V  OF  ME  THODISM. 

whose  officers  were  traversing  the  continent.  It  is  a 
great  thing  for  a  Church,  as  well  as  an  individual,  to 
have  strong  and  influential  relations.  A  little  society 
in  Boston,  therefore,  meant  something,  like  a  little 
cutter  flying  the  American  flag  in  foreign  waters.  It 
would  be  easy,  perhaps,  to  destroy  either,  but  that 
would  only  insure  the  coming  of  something  larger 
and  more  commanding.  Methodism  in  Boston  was 
too  poor  to  build  a  church;  but  what  was  that,  so 
long  as  it  had  so  many  generous  friends  in  New  York, 
Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore?  The  unity  of  Meth- 
odism is  one  of  its  chief  elements  of  strength. 
Separatists  have  not  always  thought  of  this  in  leav- 
ing the  old  Church,  and  setting  up  for  themselves. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE,  1 804-181 6.  32 1 


CHAPTER  V. 

OF  THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  1804 FANATICISM  AMONG 

PRESBYTERIANS DEATH  OF  BISHOP  WHATCOAT GEN- 
ERAL CONFERENCE  OF  1808 DELEGATED  GENERAL  CON- 
FERENCE  PROVIDED  FOR ITS  FIRST  SESSION DEATH   OF 

BISHOP  ASBURY METHODISM  ASSAILED GENERAL  CON- 
FERENCE OF    1 8l 6 NEW  BISHOPS. 

THE  General  Conference  for  1804  convened  in 
Baltimore,  and  consisted  of  one  hundred  and 
seven  members,  Bishops  Coke,  Asbury,  and  What- 
coat,  presiding.  So  careful  were  the  preachers  of 
the  principles  and  economy  of  the  Church  that  they 
agreed,  at  the  outset,  that  no  old  rule  should  be 
altered  without  the  concurrence  of  two-thirds  of  the 
members,  though  they  failed  to  require  the  same 
majority  for  the  enactment  of  a  new  rule.  It  was 
here  agreed,  too,  that  the  bishops  should  fix  the 
times  of  holding  the  annual  conferences,  and  or- 
dered that  they  should  not  allow  a  preacher  to  remain 
more  than  two  years  successively  in  any  circuit  or 
station.  Also,  that  the  Book  Concern  should  be 
transferred  from  Philadelphia  to  New  York ;  and  that 
the  articles  of  religion  should  be  altered  by  the  ex- 
clusion of  the  words  "Act  of  Confederation,"  and  the 
insertion  of  the  words  ' '  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,"  which  had  become  the  supreme  law  of  the 
country.  Here,  too,  the  boundaries  of  the  confer- 
ences were  first  inserted  in  the  Discipline,  though  not 


322  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

with  very  great  precision.  With  some  few  other 
enactments,  the  conference  adjourned  May  23d,  in 
great  peace  and  with  renewed  ardor. 

FANATICISM     AMONG    PRESBYTERIANS. 

We  have  before  hinted  at  the  part  certain  Presby- 
terians took  in  the  first  camp-meetings.  It  was  not 
reasonable  to  believe  that  the  measure  would  be 
approved  by  the  ruling  authorities  of  that  Church, 
and  it  was  not.  After  considerable  wrangling  the 
offenders  separated  from  their  old  associates,  and  or- 
ganized what  they  called  the  "Springfield  Presbytery, " 
and  undertook  to  imitate  the  Methodists,  but  did 
not  surround  themselves  with  those  guards  which  are 
necessary  to  the  preservation  of  orthodoxy,  harmony, 
and  order.  Some  of  their  new  preachers,  having 
little  knowledge  or  experience,  were  puffed  up  by 
their  sudden  elevation  to  orders,  and,  being  without 
proper  leaders,  soon  threw  off  all  restraint  and  plunged 
into  various  heresies  and  practical  irregularities,  which 
disgraced  themselves  and  their  cause.  After  jump- 
ing, dancing,  jerking,  barking,  and  rolling  on  the 
ground,  under  pretense  of  religious  devotion,  they 
scattered  off  among  the  Shakers  and  into  the  world, 
and  the  "Springfield  Presbytery"  was  dissolved. 
This  agitation  led  to  other  differences  among  the 
Presbyterians,  some  eschewing  Calvinism,  as  well  as 
the  extravagances  before  named,  but  holding  to  re- 
vivals, as  the  more  rigid  brethren  did  not.  At  length, 
they,  too,  separated  from  their  old  associates,  and 
organized  a  Church  of  their  own  in  18 10,  called 
"The  Cumberland  Presbytery,"  which  still  survives, 
with  more  or  less  success. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE,   1 804-181 6.  323 

The  Methodists,  during  these  outbursts  of  fanati- 
cism, were  in  great  danger,  but  escaped  serious  dis- 
aster by  reason  of  their  thorough  organism  and  wise 
leaders.  Camp-meetings  lost  caste  in  Kentucky,  but 
they  were  pushed  with  great  vigor  in  other  parts, 
and  accomplished  much  good. 

DEATH   OF   BISHOP  WHATCOAT. 

Nothing  more  occurred  of  noticeable  importance 
during  the  time  under  consideration,  beyond  the  or- 
dinary routine  of  hard  work  and  continued  success, 
except  the  death  of  Bishop  Whatcoat,  which  occurred 
in  Delaware,  July  5,  1806,  in  the  triumphs  of  the 
faith  he  had  preached  to  others.  He  was  born  in 
England  in  the  year  1736.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
two  he  was  born  of  the  Spirit.  Eleven  years  after, 
he  entered  the  itinerant  work  as  a  preacher  under 
Mr.  Wesley,  who  ordained  him  elder  in  1784,  and 
sent  him  to  America.  He  was  an  excellent  man, 
full  of  faith  and  the  Holy  Ghost;  did  his  work  well 
in  every  position  he  occupied,  was  generally  beloved, 
and  departed  this  life  joyfully  in  the  seventy-first 
year  of  his  age. 

Bishop  Asbury  said  of  him,  in  preaching  his 
funeral  sermon,  "I  have  known  Richard  Whatcoat 
from  the  time  I  was  fourteen  years  of  age  most  inti- 
mately, and  have  tried  him  most  accurately  in  respect 
to  the  soundness  of  his  faith.  ...  I  have  also 
known  his  manner  of  life  at  all  times  and  places  be- 
fore the  people ;  his  long  suffering,  for  he  was  a  man 
of  great  affliction,  having  been  exercised  with  severe 
diseases  and  great  labors,"  yet  "he  always  exemplified 
the  tempers  and  conduct  of  a  most  devoted  servant 


324  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

of  God  and  Christian  minister."  Sanctification  was 
his  favorite  theme,  and  Tew  men  exemplified  it  more 
beautifully. 

THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  l8o8. 

The  meeting  of  this  body  was  anticipated  with 
considerable  solicitude  on  several  accounts.  Dr. 
Coke  was  in  Europe  by  permission,  Bishop  Whatcoat 
was  dead,  and  Bishop  Asbury  was  getting  old  and 
infirm,  so  that  arrangements  must  be  made  for  new 
leaders.  Besides,  it  had  come  to  be  known  that  Dr. 
Coke  wrote  a  letter  to  Bishop  White  in  1791,  indi- 
cating a  desire  to  have  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  wedded  in  some  prudent  way  to  the  Protest- 
ant Episcopal  Church,  which  was  not  very  pleasing 
to  the  delegates  or  their  constituents.  The  matter 
was,  however,  carefully  considered  by  the  conference, 
and  the  name  of  Dr.  Coke  was  allowed  to  be  pub- 
lished in  the  minutes,  as  usual,  and  he  permitted  to 
remain  in  Europe  until  the  conference  should  call 
him  back.     This   satisfied  all  parties   tolerably  well. 

PROVIDENTIAL    DELIVERANCE. 

Looking  at  the  matter  now,  we  think  it  fortunate 
for  the  Church  that  this  course  was  taken,  all  things 
considered.  Dr.  Coke  had  justly  occupied  a  very 
high  position  in  this  country,  and  was  growing  in 
influence  all  the  time  he  held  the  office  of  superin- 
tendent, and  remained  in  America.  Finding  that  the 
work  was  too  much  for  one  man,  and  apprehending 
differences  in  judgment  with  associates  who  might  be 
elected  to  co-operate  with  him,  he  proposed  to  have 
the  continent  equally  divided  between  him  and  Mr. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE,   1804-1816.  325 

Asbury  as  superintending  bishops.  Under  the  cir- 
cumstances of  his  absence  and  his  letter  to  Bishop 
White,  this  proposition  received  little  favor.  Had 
he  not  written  the  letter,  and  had  he  remained  in 
the  country,  growing  in  influence  as  he  had  done,  it 
is  not  impossible  that  it  would  have  carried.  How 
it  would  have  worked,  we  can  not  tell ;  but  in  view 
of  the  success*  which  has  crowned  the  old  policy  of 
equal  general  superintendency,  it  seems  as  if  it  must 
have  blocked  the  wheels  of  progress,  and  led  to  less 
gratifying  results  than  now  appear.  At  all  events, 
apparent  mistakes  do  often  turn  for  the  furtherance 
of  the  Gospel. 

A  DELEGATED  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  PROVIDED  FOR. 

We  have  already  referred  to  the  difficulty  of 
making  authoritative  rules  for  the  Church,  scattered 
as  the  preachers  were  from  Maine  to  Georgia.  This 
conference  received  a  memorial  from  the  New  York 
Conference,  indorsed  by  several  others,  asking  that 
provision  should  be  made  for  a  delegated  General 
Conference.  It  being  referred  to  a  committee  of  two 
from  each  of  the  seven  conferences  then  present,  the 
committee  reported  substantially  the  plan  now  in  use, 
providing  that  the  said  delegated  conference  should 
not  do  certain  things,  stated  in  what  are  known 
among  us  as   "The   Restrictive   Rules."     (See  Dis., 

1TT  93-99-) 

The  report  was  at  first  rejected  by  a  majority  of 
seven,  much  to  the  regret  of  the  older  preachers, 
especially  Mr.  Asbury.  They  saw  the  necessity  of 
protecting  the  doctrines,  general  rules,  and  govern- 
ment of  the   Church    against   the   hurried   vote  of  a 


326  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

bare  majority.  After  considerable  consultation,  the 
matter  was  reconsidered,  and  the  report  adopted  with 
great  unanimity. 

Before  this,  each  General  Conference  was  at  lib- 
erty to  make  whatever  alterations  it  might  see  fit,  or 
to  introduce  any  new  doctrine.  Knowing  the  rage 
of  men  for  novelty  and  the  recklessness  of  excitement, 
Mr.  Asbury  desired  to  see  the  foundations  of  Method- 
ism well  secured   before   he   should   be   taken  away. 

It  is  impossible  to  appreciate  all  the  good  results 
that  have  flowed  to  the  Church  and  the  world  from 
this  wise  arrangement.  The  General  Conference  has 
since  been  to  the  Church  what  Congress  and  the 
Supreme  Court  are  to  the  State.  If  it  shall  continue 
to  exercise  its  authority  with  discretion,  and  with 
proper  zeal  for  God  and  the  best  good  of  men,  its 
Gospel  agencies  will  yet  encompass  the  earth. 

THE   QUESTION   OF   MORE    BISHOPS,    ETC. 

Mr.  Asbury  being  left  alone  in  the  superintend- 
ency,  the  question  of  more  bishops  was  one  of  spe- 
cial interest,  and,  as  usual,  elicited  many  opinions. 
Able  men  were  in  favor  of  electing  seven — one  for 
each  conference — and  thus  largely  superseding  the 
necessity  of  presiding  elders.  A  motion  for  two  was 
rejected,  and  one  was  preferred,  almost  unanimously; 
whereupon,  William  M'Kendree  was  elected,  and 
duly  consecrated.  He  was  born  in  Virginia,  July  6, 
1757,  educated  in  the  English  Church,  converted  in 
1787,  and  received  into  the  conference  on  trial  the 
next  year.  But  he  became  so  perplexed  with  the 
O' Kelly  strife  that  he  desisted  from  traveling  until 
1793,  when   he  was   stationed  at   Norfolk,  and  after- 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE,   1804-1816.  327 

ward  made  presiding  elder.  He  was  evidently  a 
man  of  great  power,  and  longed  to  save  sinners. 
This  was  the  secret  of  his  remarkable  success — and 
a  very  desirable  qualification  for  a  bishop. 

This  conference  provided  also  for  the  ordination 
of  local  preachers,  and  made  some  other  prudential 
arrangements,  all  of  which  seemed  to  give  general 
satisfaction. 

Bishop  M'Kendree  entered  upon  his  new  duties 
with  his  old  zeal,  making  the  entire  circuit  of  the 
continent  from  year  to  year.  He  believed,  with  Mr. 
Asbury,  that  he  ought  to  ''visit  every  part  of  the 
work,  because  the  preachers  and  people  ought  to 
know  their  bishop,  and  that  he  ought  to  know  them, 
so  as  to  sympathize  with  them  in  their  wants  and 
sufferings,  to  understand  their  true  state,  as  well  as 
to  set  an  example  to  all  which  they  may  safely  and 
profitably  imitate;"  and,  to  accomplish  this,  he  had 
to  adopt  his  senior's  economy  of  time,  and  make  the 
most  of  "a  short  day  by  only  stopping  to  feed  the 
horses,  and  let  the  riders,  meanwhile,  take  a  bite  of 
what  they  may  have  been  provident  enough  to  put 
into  their  pockets." 

He  traveled  much,  the  first  year,  with  Mr.  As- 
bury, from  whose  journal  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  the 
honors  and  work  of  the  office,  written  while  they 
were  resting  a  little  in  Tennessee.  It  reads  thus: 
"My  flesh  sinks  under  labor.  We  are  riding  in  a 
poor  thirty-dollar  chaise,  in  partnership,  two  bishops 
of  us,  but  it  must  be  confessed  that  it  tallies  well 
with  the  weight  of  our  purses.  What  bishops! 
Well,  but  we  have  great  news,  and  we  have  great 
times,  and  each  Western,  Southern,  and  the  Virginia 


328  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Conference  will  have  one  thousand  souls  truly  con- 
verted to  God.  Is  not  this  an  equivalent  for  a 
light  purse,  and  are  we  not  well  paid  for  starving 
and  toil?  Yes,  glory  to  God!"  This  can  be  better 
appreciated  if  we  remember  that  their  salaries  were 
eighty  dollars  a  year  each,  if  they  could  raise  it, 
besides  their  traveling  expenses. 

A    SPECIMEN    OF    CONVERSION. 

The  Word  in  those  days  was  with  power.  A 
Mr.  Kenton,  who  was  one  of  the  first  to  venture 
into  the  wilderness  of  Kentucky  and  Ohio,  and  had 
suffered  much  in  his  conflicts  with  Indians,  having 
been  taken  prisoner  once  or  twice,  and  run  great 
hazards  in  hunting  wild  beasts  that  roamed  the  for- 
ests, at  last  encountered  a  camp-meeting,  and  was 
arrested  and  tamed  by  the  Gospel.  In  opening  his 
mind  to  Rev.  Mr.  Sale,  he  enjoined  the  utmost 
secrecy,  and  then  gave  an  outline  of  his  strange  life. 
In  the  course  of  the  night,  the  heavenly  light  broke 
in  upon  his  soul,  so  that  the  next  morning  he  went 
forth  proclaiming  what  God  had  done  for  his  soul. 
His  conversion  made  a  powerful  impression  on  oth- 
ers, who  ■  concluded  that  a  religion  which  could 
transform  the  hero  of  so  many  battles  must  come 
from  God. 

THE   WORK    IN    THE    EAST. 

While  these  successes  were  being  achieved  in 
the  South  and  West,  Rev.  Messrs.  Elijah  Hedding, 
Joshua  Soule,  Thomas  Branch,  John  Brodhead,  Eli- 
jah R.  Sabin,  Oliver  Beale,  and  George  Pickering, 
all,  but  the  last-named,   presiding  elders,  were  push- 


GENERAL   CONFERENCE,   1 804-181 6.  329 

ing  the  work  in  the  New  England  Conference  with 
considerable  effect.  Many  were  converted  and  joined 
the  Church,  notwithstanding  the  prevailing  prejudices 
against  our  doctrines  and  methods. 

Camp-meetings  were  held  all  over  the  country, 
and  were  attended  with  great  power.  Such  was  the 
progress  of  the  work  that  in  18 10  the  bishops  organ- 
ized the  Genesee  Conference,  for  the  benefit  of  West- 
ern New  York  and  the  Canadas.  The  same  year, 
the  Western  Conference  was  held  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
then  a  little  village  of  eleven  years'  growth,  and  was 
comforted  to  find  an  increase  of  about  four  thousand 
members. 

THE    FIRST    DELEGATED    CONFERENCE. 

This  conference  opened  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
May  1,  18 1 2,  and  was  composed  of  the  following 
delegates : 

New  York  Conference. — Freeborn  Garrettson,  Dan- 
iel Ostrander,  Aaron  Hunt,  William  Phoebus,  William 
Anson,  Nathan  Bangs,  Laban  Clark,  Truman  Bishop, 
Eben  Smith,  Henry  Stead,  Billy  Hibbard,  Seth  Crow- 
ell,  and  Samuel  Merwin. 

Neiv  England  Conference. — George  Pickering,  Oli- 
ver Beale,  Elijah  Hedding,  Joshua  Soule,  William 
Stevens,  Asa  Kent,  Solomon  Sias,  Joel  Winch,  and 
Daniel  Webb. 

Genesee  Conference. — William  B.  Lacy,  Anning 
Owen,  Timothy  Lee,  Jonas  Kelsey,  Elijah  Batche- 
lor,  and  William  Snow. 

Western  Conference.  —  Learner  Blackman,  Benja- 
min Lakin,  James  Quinn,  Frederick  Stier,  John  Sale, 
William    Pattison,    Isaac    Quinn,    William    Houston, 

28 


330  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

John  Collins,  Samuel  Parker,  James  Axley,  David 
Young,  and  Thomas  Stillwell. 

South  Carolina  Conference. — Lewis  Myers,  Lovick 
Pierce,  Joseph  Tarpley,  Daniel  Asbury,  William  M. 
Kennedy,  Samuel  Dunwody,  James  E.  Glenn,  Hill- 
iard  Judge,   and  Joseph  Travis. 

Virginia  Conference.  — Jesse  Lee,  Philip  Bruce, 
John  Buxton,  Thomas  L.  Douglas,  John  Ballew, 
James  M.  Boyd,  Richard  Lattimore,  Charles  Calla- 
way, Cannellum  H.  Hines,  William  Jean,  and  John 
Early. 

Baltimore  Conference. — Nelson  Reed,  Joseph  Toy, 
Joshua  Wells,  Nicholas  Snethen,  Enoch  George,  Asa 
Shinn,  Hamilton  Jefferson,  Jacob  Gruber,  Robert  R. 
Roberts,  William  Ryland,  Christopher  Frye,  James 
Smith,  Robert  Burch,  Henry  Smith,  and  Andrew 
Hemphill. 

Philadelphia  Conference. — Ezekiel  Cooper,  John 
M'Claskey,  Thomas  F.  Sargent,  Stephen  G.  Roszel, 
Thomas  Ware,  Richard  Sneath,  Thomas  Boring,  Da- 
vid Bartine,  John  Walker,  George  Woolley,  James 
Bateman,  Thomas  Burch,  Michael  Coate,  and  Asa 
Smith.      (Bangs's  History,  Vol.  II,  pp.   305-307.) 

Bishops  Asbury  and  M'Kendree  presided.  "Jef- 
ferson's Manual"  of  parliamentary  rules  was  tempo- 
rarily adopted  for  the  guidance  of  the  business. 
Bishop  Asbury  indicated  a  disposition  to  visit  his 
native  land,  having  been  absent  from  it  forty-one 
years ;  but  the  committee,  after  due  deliberation,  re- 
ported: "It  is  our  sincere  desire  and  request  that 
Bishop  Asbury  would  relinquish  his  thought  of  visit- 
ing Europe,  and  confine  his  labors  to  the  American 
connection  so  long  as  God   may  preserve   his   life." 


GENERAL   CONFERENCE,   1804-1816.  33 1 

In   this   the   conference    heartily  concurred,    and   the 
bishop  continued  in  the  work. 

But  the  bishops  were  carefully  watched,  lest  they 
should  exceed  their  Disciplinary  prerogatives.  Some 
claimed  that  they  had  no  authority  for  organizing  the 
Genesee  Conference  as  they  had  done ;  but  the  confer- 
ence approved  the  measure,  and  thus  they  escaped 
rebuke.  They  were,  however,  placed  under  special 
restrictions  with  regard  to  similar  operations  in  the 
fuftire. 

OF    ORDAINING    LOCAL    PREACHERS. 

The  proposition  to  make  local  deacons  eligible  to 
elders'  orders  elicited  a  very  long  and  able  discussion; 
but  it  was  finally  indorsed,  on  the  ground  of  expedi- 
ency, where  their  services  as  elders  iniglit  be  needed, 
and  could  therefore  be  employed  to  good  purpose. 

MORE   ACTIVITY    IN    THE    BOOK    CONCERN. 

As  before  stated,  The  Methodist  Magazine  was 
started  in  1789,  but  it  was  suspended  the  year  follow- 
ing. Many  of  the  leading  members  of  this  confer- 
ence urged  the  necessity  of  a  periodical  of  some  sort 
with  much  emphasis.  Some  were  strongly  opposed 
to  it;  but  the  conference  voted,  by  a  bare  majority, 
directing  the  agents  to  resume  the  publication  of  the 
magazine,  commencing  the  third  volume  at  furthest 
by  January  next,  and,  to  insure  the  work,  appointed 
Thomas  Ware  assistant  agent  to  Daniel  Hitt.  This 
is  the  first  we  hear  of  two  agents;  but  the  magazine 
was  not  resumed  as  ordered,  nor  until  18 18,  which  ex- 
plains the  great  scarcity  of  material  for  the  history  of 
the  Church  during  the  long  interval  of  its  suspension. 


332  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  THODISM. 

"For  a  number  of  years,"  says  Dr.  Bangs,  "it 
appeared  that  education  of  all  sorts,  as  well  as  writ- 
ing for  the  public  eye,  was  laid  aside  as  useless,  and 
we  seem  to  have  come  to  the  strange  conclusion  that 
we  had  naught  else  to  do  but  simply  to  preach  the 
Gospel.  .  .  .  It  is  true  that  a  few  sighed  over 
this  state  of  things.  ...  It  was  this  feeling 
which  prompted  them  to  bring  the  subject  before  the 
General  Conference  of  1812. 

"From  these  humiliating  facts  it  became  pro- 
verbial that  the  Methodists  were  enemies  to  learn- 
ing. .  .  .  The  fact  is,  the  destruction  of  Cokes- 
bury  College,  and  the  failure  to  establish  district 
schools  and  academies,  threw  a  damper  upon  the 
spirits  of  those  who  had  abetted  learning,  and  fur- 
nished those ,  who  were  indifferent  to  its  interests 
with  arguments  against  it." 

Though  it  was  twenty-three  years  since  the  book 
business  was  commenced,  it  was  by  no  means  large. 
Mr.  Crowther,  in  his  "Portraiture  of  Methodism," 
published  in  181 3,  gives  the  list  of  all  books  on  sale, 
together  with  those  published  by  the  concern,  num- 
bering in  all  only  twenty-nine  volumes,  a  complete  set 
of  which  (excepting  ' '  Coke's  Commentary, "  which  was 
imported)  could  be  bought  for  $31.64.  And  there 
were  among  them  but  three  American  publications. 
If  this  statement  is  correct,  the  Church  certainly  was 
not  very  deeply  affected  at  that  time,  with  the  im- 
portance of  the  press  to  her  noble  enterprise. 

OTHER  MATTERS  ABOUT  THIS  CONFERENCE. 

It  was  here  that  the  Episcopal  practice  of  address- 
ing the  General  Conference  was  introduced.      Bishop 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE,  1 804-181 6.  333 

M'Kendree  read  an  address  of  his  own,  and  Bishop 
Asbury  then  extemporized  one.  Both  were  heard 
with  respect  and  properly  referred  to  a  committee. 
This  conference  also  restricted  the  power  of  the 
preachers  a  little  with  regard  to  the  appointment  of 
stewards,  and  allowed  them  only  to  nominate,  where 
they  had  before  appointed  them.  It  authorized  an- 
nual conferences,  too,  to  raise  funds  to  support  their 
superannuated  preachers,  widows,  and  orphans. 

INTERRUPTION    BY   THE    WAR    OF    l8l2. 

We  have  now  reached  another  important  period 
in  the  history  of  the  country  and  the  Church.  June 
18,  18 1 2,  the  United  States  declared  war  against 
great  Great  Britain,  which  created  a  profound  sensa- 
tion all  over  the  continent.  The  preachers  appointed 
to  Canada  were  unable  to  go  to  their  work,  and  the 
Canada  preachers  were  prevented  from  attending 
their  conference,  and  all  friendly  intercourse  between 
the  two  countries  was  suspended.  The  work,  how- 
ever, advanced  in  the  States.  The  reports  for  18 13 
showed  a  handsome  increase;  but  the  effects  of  the 
war,  which  still  raged,  appeared  the  next  year,  indi- 
cating some  loss.  The  burning  of  Washington  and 
the  attack  upon  Baltimore  absorbed  all  hearts,  and 
the  war-whoop  largely  took  the  place  of  religious  en- 
terprise. 

OF   THE    REFORMED    METHODISTS. 

Among  the  locations  of  18 13  we  find  the  name 
Pliny  Brett,  who  failed  to  be  admitted  to  the  New 
England  Conference  in  full  connection  as  he  an- 
ticipated.    This  so  offended  him  that  he  soon  after 


334  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

withdrew  from  the  Church,  and  placed  himself  at  the 
head  of  a  party  which  pretended  to  peculiar  attain- 
ments in  holiness,  and  went  about  to  infect  others 
with  his  own  prejudices,  and  combine  them  in  a  new 
organization.  The  project  succeeded  so  far  as  to  alien- 
ate and  draw  off  several  local  preachers  and  a  con- 
siderable number  of  members,  who  assumed  the  name 
of  "Reformed  Methodists,"  indicating  the  convic- 
tion entertained  by  them  that  the  Church  had  back- 
slidden from  original  Methodism  and  from  God. 
With  this  specious  title  they  went  forth  berating 
their  old  friends,  and  calling  upon  all  who  loved 
the  power  of  religion  to  rally  to  the  new  standard. 
Ranters  and  fanatics  who  wanted  more  liberty 
than  propriety  would  justify,  or  the  leaders  could 
tolerate,  heeded  the  call  and  withdrew.  Several 
societies  on  Cape  Cod  and  in  Vermont  were  greatly 
agitated,  and  several  smaller  ones  were  destroyed,  by 
which  means  the  Church  lost  some  worthy  members, 
and  contracted  a  prejudice  against  holiness,  which 
was  the  battle-cry  of  the  seceding  part}*.  They  were 
generally  sincere,  we  think,  but  ignorant,  conceited, 
uncharitable,  and  censorious,  in  the  erroneous  belief 
that  they  were  divinely  inspired,  and,  therefore,  ought 
to  follow  their  impressions  at  whatever  cost.  They 
lacked  the  charity  that  "suffereth  long  and  is  kind, 
that  vaunteth  not  itself,  is  not  puffed  up,  doth  not 
behave  itself  unseemly,  is  not  easily  provoked,  and 
thinketh  no  evil." 

Having  spent  their  first  peculiar  love  in  scattering 
the  old  Church,  an  object  in  which  they  were  particu- 
larly united,  they  fell  upon  each  other.  Some  were 
disgusted   and   returned    to    their    old    friends,    while 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE,  1 804-181 6.  335 

others  held  together  in  some  sort  (never  numbering 
over  two  thousand),  until  1843,  when  they  affiliated 
with  the  Wesleyans  organized  under  the  leadership  of 
Rev.  Orange  Scott,  whose  history  will  be  noticed  in 
its  chronological  order. 

Holiness  has  had  a  great  deal  to  endure  from  its 
professed  friends.  If  it  were  not  of  God  it  would 
have  been  utterly  discarded  long  ago.  But  it  is  evi- 
dently gaining  ground,  though  still  in  danger  of  suffer- 
ing from  fanaticism.  It  probably  never  had  so  many 
consistent  admirers  as  at  present,  and  the  number 
seems  to  be  increasing. 

THE    AFRICAN    METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH. 

This  was  organized  at  Philadelphia  in  the  year 
1 8 16,  under  the  leadership  of  Richard  Allen,  a  local 
elder,  the  first  colored  preacher  ordained  in  the  coun- 
try. He  was  a  man  of  excellent  character,  of  wealth 
and  influence,  but  separated  from  the  Church  in  con- 
sequence of  local  difficulties  between  the  two  races. 

A  considerable  number  of  others  followed  his 
example,  and  united  to  form  an  independent  Church 
under  the  above  title.  They  made  no  change  in 
doctrine,  nor  even  in  discipline,  further  than  to 
accommodate  their  new  circumstances.  The  object 
of  the  movement  was  to  govern  themselves,  and  not 
be  subject  to  a  government  in  which  they  had  no 
part  on  account  of  their  color.  At  their  first  confer- 
ence, Allen  was  elected  bishop,  and  ordained  by  the 
imposition  of  hands,  since  which,  others  have  been 
inducted  into  the  same  office.  They  hold  annual 
and  general  conferences,  and  maintain  a  system  of 
itinerancy   with    considerable    success.      They    claim 


336  HIST  OR  Y  GF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

600  traveling  preachers,  1,300  local  preachers,  and 
200,000  members. 

These  transactions  created  some  excitement  among 
the  colored  people  in  the  City  of  New  York,  and 
they  declared  for  independence.  But  not  having  all 
confidence  in  Allen,  or  his  new  scheme,  they  struck 
out  a  little  different  plan,  and  organized  another 
"African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion's  Church,"  to  be 
governed  by  elders  of  their  own  choosing,  one  of 
whom  was  to  be  annually  elected  to  superintend,  but 
not  to  be  set  apart  by  the  usual  forms  of  ordination. 
They  now  claim  to  number  about  694  ministers  and 
164,000  Church  members  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada. 

In  this  day  of  fraternity  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
those  two  bodies  may  find  it  for  their  interest  to 
come  together.  They  have  done  good,  and  are 
growing,  but,  if  they  can  agree,  may  do  better  com- 
bined into  one  strong  Church. 

OF    THE    STILLWELLITES. 

The  year  following,  New  York  experienced  an- 
other slight  explosion.  In  rebuilding  John-street 
church  the  trustees  and  other  members  fell  into  some 
differences.  A  part,  perhaps,  wished  to  have  the  fin- 
ishing a  little  nicer  than  the  others  fancied,  or  could 
conscientiously  approve.  One  thing  led  to  another, 
till  the  contest  became  very  sharp,  and  resulted  in 
the  secession  of  William  M.  Stillwell,  a  traveling 
preacher,  three  trustees,  and  about  three  hundred 
members  of  the  Church.  The  disaffection  was  com- 
municated to  several  local  preachers  and  others  in 
the   vicinity,    and  Stillwellites   multiplied   for  a   time 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE,  1804-18 1 6.  337 

with  considerable  rapidity.  But  a  second  sober 
thought  turned  the  tables  again,  and  most  of  the 
seceders  returned  from  whence  they  went  out,  more 
than  ever  convinced  that  it  is  easier  to  destroy  a 
good  Church  than  to  establish  a  better  one.  Those 
who  remained  soon  laid  aside  all  pretensions  to  itin- 
erancy, and  settled  down  on  the  Congregational  plan, 
with  the  father  of  the  movement  for  their  pastor,  who 
died  after  several  years,  regretting  his  course. 

We  mention  this  case  to  show  how  easy  it  is  to 
make  a  division  in  the  Church  of  God,  and  how  little 
it  avails,  compared  with  the  expectations  of  its  pro- 
moters. It  was,  no  doubt,  believed  in  this  case,  that 
the  secession  would  shake  the  Church  to  its  founda- 
tions, and  bring  about  a  glorious  state  of  things,  in 
which  the  seceders  would  be  eminently  popular.  But 
how  disappointed !  It  was  only  as  a  pebble  falling  into 
the  ocean.  You  hear  the  sound  thereof,  and  mark  a 
circular  ripple  upon  the  wave,  and  pass  along  as 
though  nothing  had  happened.  The  Methodist 
Church  is  not  to  be  overturned  so  easily.  But  such 
beacons  of  warning  are  of  little  use,  after  all.  Ad- 
venturers will  not  learn  by  the  experience  of  others. 
They  are  wiser,  or  their  idol  scheme  has  some  ad- 
vantage that  insures  its  success.  So  on  they  go  to 
the  same  oblivion  that  covers  their  predecessors,  the 
WTeck  of  whose  darling  visions  should  have  deterred 
them  from  such  presumption.  Still,  it  is  our  duty  to 
admonish  them  of  their  danger. 

THE    DEATH    OF    DR.    COKE. 

Bishop  Whatcoat  had  gone  to  his  reward.  As- 
bury  was  fast  finishing  his   course,    when   the    news 

29 


338  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

arrived  that  Dr.  Coke  was  found  dead  in  his  cabin, 
May  3,  1814,  on  his  way  to  India  with  several  mis- 
sionaries to  lay  the  foundations  of  a  Christian  Church 
in  that  far  off  land.  Though  he  had  been  released 
some  six  years  from  his  obligations  to  the  Ameri- 
can conference,  he  was  still  held  in  high  esteem  for 
the  noble  work  he  had  done,  and  his  death  was  a 
source  of  deep  affliction.  He  had  made  arrange- 
ments for  his  burial  at  home,  but  it  being  impossible 
to  preserve  his  remains,  he  was  buried  in  the  ocean, 
fitly  says  one  writer,  as  he  belonged  to  no  country 
but  to  the  whole  world.  He  had  crossed  the  Atlantic 
eighteen  times  in  the  interest  of  religion,  repeatedly 
visited  Ireland,  Scotland,  and  Wales,  and  the  West 
Indies,  at  his  own  expense,  and  had  now  completed 
his  long  and  useful  life,  probably  by  apoplexy,  in  the 
sixty-seventh  year  of  his  age.  He  was  called  of 
God  to  a  great  work,  and  he  did  it.  He  organized 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  1784  with  83 
preachers,  and  14,988  members;  and  left  it  at  his 
death,  with  729  preachers,  and  211,129  members. 
''Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant." 

ANOTHER    PRINCE    FALLEN. 

Bishop  Asbury,  full  of  faith  and  hope,  vibrating 
between  two  worlds,  desired  to  visit  Mississippi, 
lying  south  of  the  ten  conferences  under  his  super- 
vision, but  he  was  not  able.  December  2,  18 16,  he 
wrote  in  his  journal:  "My  consolations  are  great.  I 
live  in  God  moment  by  moment."  The  following 
March  he  visited  Richmond,  Virginia,  and  preached 
his  last  sermon  sitting,  being  unable  to  walk  or  even 
stand.      March    31st,    nearing  his   end,  he  was  asked 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE,   1 804-181 6.  339 

if  he  felt  the  Lord  Jesus  precious,  when,  with  great 
effort,  he  raised  both  hands  in  token  of  victory,  and 
passed  away,  in  the  seventy-first  year  of  his  age. 

When  he  came  to  New  York,  forty-five  years 
before,  the  Methodist  connection  numbered  about  six 
hundred  members.  After  battling  with  the  winds 
and  storms  for  nearly  half  a  century,  he  bade  a 
peaceful  adieu  to  the  Church  he  had  loved  and  cher- 
ished as  a  mother  her  children,  embracing  six  hun- 
dred and  ninety-five  traveling  preachers,  and  two 
hundred  and  fourteen  thousand,  two  hundred  and 
thirty-five  members.  But  these  statistics  convey 
only  a  faint  idea  of  what  was  accomplished  during 
the  period  named.  To  estimate  this  properly,  we 
must  consider  how  many  were  converted  and  taken 
to  Abraham's  bosom;  how  many  joined  other 
Churches ;  how  many  more  were  improved  and  made 
happier  and  better  in  various  respects;  and  how 
much  was  accomplished  in  extending  the  itinerant 
plan  through  the  States  and  territories.  A  founda- 
tion was  laid  by  his  labors  upon  which  others  have 
built  so  nobly  since,  and  without  which  they  must 
have  achieved  much  less. 

Mr.  Asbury  lived  a  bachelor  and  devoted  his 
whole  life  to  God  and  the  Church.  When  near  his 
end,  he  made  his  will,  and  gave  the  Book  Concern 
what  was  left  of  about  two  thousand  dollars  some 
childless  friend  had  devised  to  him,  saying,  "Let  it 
return  and  continue  to  aid  the  cause  of  piety."  His 
remains  were  buried  in  Spottslyvania,  but  at  the 
request  of  brethren  in  Baltimore,  and  by  order  of 
the  General  Conference,  they  were  removed  to  that 
city,    and    deposited    in    a    vault    prepared    for    the 


340  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

purpose  under  the  pulpit  of  the  Eutaw-street  Church, 
where  a  marble  slab  marks  his  resting  place,  and 
furnishes  a  brief  outline  of  his  history.  It  is  cal- 
culated that  during  his  forty-five  years  of  minis- 
terial service  in  this  country  he  traveled  about 
6,000  miles  a  year,  making  a  grand  total  of  270,000 
miles,  and  that  he  preached  over  17,000  sermons, 
and  ordained  over  3,000  ministers.  It  will  be  diffi- 
cult to  find  another  man  who  worked  so  hard  or  did 
so  much  or  at  so  little  cost  to  others. 

In  looking  over  the  four  years  immediately  fol- 
lowing the  decease  of  this  patriarch  of  Methodism, 
it  is  delightful  to  observe  that  though  the  Lord  took 
away  the  " master  builder,"  he  did  not  suffer  the  work 
to  cease.  Indeed,  death  was  not  permitted  to  touch 
him  till  others  had  been  raised  up  with  hearts  and 
heads  to  take  the  cause  where  he  left  it,  and  carry- 
it  forward  toward  its  grand  destination.  The  net 
increase  was  45,655  members  and  201  traveling 
preachers. 

METHODISM    ASSAILED    FROM    ANOTHER    QUARTER. 

About  1 8 10,  the  American  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners began  to  look  after  the  great  West,  and 
gentlemen  were  sent  out  on  an  exploring  tour,  who 
made  a  very  sad  report  of  the  condition  of  things, 
implicating  the  Methodists  in  several  particulars, 
This  brought  certain  of  the  disparaged  preachers  to 
the  front,  who  showed  themselves  more  " competent" 
than  they  had  been  represented,  and  led  to  a  contro- 
versy which  did  much  good.  Competence  and  in- 
competence, education  and  ignorance,  Calvinism  and 
Arminianism,   were    the    principal    topics,    and   were 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE,  1 804-181 6.  34 1 

all  thoroughly  sifted.  The  discussion  lasted  several 
years  and  revolutionized  public  sentiment  so  as 
to  necessitate  the  rejection  or  the  concealment  of  the 
"horrible  decrees,"  in  order  to  hold  the  people  to 
their  old  associations,  since  which  they  have  been 
very  little  preached.  "Natural  ability"  was  assumed 
for  sinners  to  blunt  the  edge  of  reprobation,  and  jus- 
tify the  claims  and  invitations  of  the  Gospel.  But 
no  invention  has  availed  to  save  the  Calvinian  system. 
Another  good  result  of  the  controversy  was  the 
establishment  of  equal  rights  among  the  different 
sects.  In  the  settlement  of  Connecticut  no  person  was 
allowed  to  vote  or  hold  a  civil  office  unless  he  be- 
longed to  the  Church.  Afterward  a  "half-way  cove- 
nant" was  arranged  by  which  outsiders — members 
of  the  Congregational  society  might  vote  and  hold 
office,  while  other  sects  were  still  taxed,  and  deprived 
of  these  rights.  Further  modifications  followed,  but 
after  the  war  of  18 12,  dissenters  generally  combined 
and  overthrew  the  Charter  of  Charles  II,  and  obtained 
a  constitution,  placing  all  denominations  on  an  equal 
footing  as  to  civil  and  religious  liberty. 

THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  l8l6. 

This  body  convened  at  Baltimore.  After  making 
proper  references  to  the  loss  of  their  senior  bishop, 
they  received  and  read  his  valedictory  address  in  an 
unfinished  state,  indicating  unabated  interest  in  the 
Church  he  had  so  long  and  faithfully  served.  Taken 
in  connection  with  his  late  conversation  with  Bishop 
M'Kendree,  it  shows  that  he  had  foreseen  the  future 
of  the  Western  country,  and  had  sketched  magnifi- 
cent plans  for  its  evangelization. 


342  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Bishop  M'Kendree,  the  only  surviving  superin- 
tendent of  the  Church,  presented  an  address,  stating 
the  condition  of  the  work  and  its  necessities.  A  lit- 
tle conflict  in  Lower  Canada,  among  the  British  and 
American  preachers,  growing  out  of  the  late  war, 
was  considered  and  put  upon  a  course  of  amicable 
adjustment.  Enoch  George  and  Robert  Richford 
Roberts  were  elected  bishops  by  ballot,  the  former 
by  a  majority  of  four  votes  and  the  latter  by  a 
majority  of  two.  Special  action  was  had,  also, 
looking  toward  the  better  support  of  the  preachers, 
to  prevent,  if  possible,  so  many  locations.  Joshua 
Soule  and  Thomas  Mason  were  made  book  agents, 
and  the  bishops,  having  families  to  support,  were 
thrown  upon  the  book  concern  for  the  means. 
This  was  the  first  divergence  from  the  sixth  restrict- 
ive rule,  which  pledges  the  entire  proceeds  of  the 
book  concern  to  "the  benefit  of  traveling  super- 
numerary, superannuated,  and  worn-out  preachers, 
their  wives,  widows,  and  children."  At  the  outset, 
the  bishops  trusted  to  the  people,  in  common  with 
other  preachers.  In  the  year  1800,  it  was  ordained 
by  the  General  Conference,  ' '  Each  annual  conference 
is  to  pay  its  proportional  part  toward  the  allowance 
of  the  bishops."  Four  years  after,  this  order  was 
made  to  embrace  "their  widows  and  orphans." 

Both  the  new  bishops  were  fresh  from  the  itiner- 
ant field.  Bishop  George  was  about  forty-nine  years 
of  age,  a  Virginian  by  birth  and  education,  and  well 
trained  on  large  circuits  and  districts  for  the  higher 
responsibilities  to  which  he  was  now  called.  His 
zeal  had  broken  him  down  two  or  three  times,  so 
that  he  was  obliged  to  locate.     He  was  not,  perhaps, 


GENERAL   CONFERENCE,   1 804-181 6.  343 

a  great  preacher,  but  still  he  preached  mightily,  and 
the  power  of  God  attended  his  word. 

Mr.  Roberts  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  eleven 
years  younger,  thoroughly  converted,  and  similarly 
educated  on  circuits  and  districts.  He  was  the  first 
class-leader  within  the  bounds  of  the  present  Erie 
Conference.  "A  child  of  the  wilderness,  he  had 
been  educated  in  its  hardy  habits.  His  rugged 
frame  and  characteristic  qualities  all  designated  him 
as  an  effective  evangelist  for  the  great  West.  There 
he  had  built  his  log  cabin,  and  dwelt  comparatively 
out  of  sight  of  civilized  man,  tilling  the  earth  in 
Summer,  and  hunting  the  bear,  the  deer,  and  the 
raccoon  in  Winter.  He  became  one  of  the  most 
expert  huntsmen  in  his  day.  The  entire  Winter  had 
he  spent  in  his  solitary  cabin,  twenty  miles  away 
from  any  human  being,  and  cheered  only  by  the 
faithful  company  of  his  favorite  sister,  who  prepared 
his  repasts  of  wild  meat.  He  lived  a  circuit  preacher 
as  he  had  a  settler,  and  a  bishop  as  he  had  a  circuit 
preacher,  in  a  log  cabin,  and  died  in  a  log  cabin." 
Removing  his  episcopal  residence  to  Indiana,  he 
built  him  a  log  cabin  with  his  own  hands.  "The 
allowance  for  his  family  expenses,  besides  two  hun- 
dred per  annum  for  quarterage,  was,  during  most  of 
his  episcopal  career,  from  two  hundred  to  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  per  annum — at  least  this  was 
the  case  till  1836."  He  was  cheerful,  benevolent, 
forbearing;  an  interesting  preacher,  not  eloquent; 
brave,  but  yet  diffident;  the  man  for  the  times  and 
the  work  he  had  to  perform. 


344  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

OF     NEW     MEASURES DEATH     OF    JESSE     LEE  —  MISSIONARY 

SOCIETY    FORMED GENERAL    CONFERENCE    OF    1820 OF 

THE    APPOINTMENT     OF     PRESIDING     ELDERS RELATING 

TO     THE     BRITISH     CONFERENCE OF     OUR     HYMN-BOOK 

AND    CHURCHES DISTRICT    CONFERENCES WHAT    FOL- 
LOWED     1820 GENERAL     CONFERENCE     OF      1824     AND 

ITS     ACTION FOUR     DAYS'     MEETINGS OTHER     FIELDS 

OPENED DEATH    OF    FREEBORN    GARRETTSON. 

BIDDING  adieu  to  the  General  Conference  of 
1 8 16,  we  pass  along  amid  various  scenes 
of  activity,  all  well-meant,  but  not  alike  successful. 
The  first  that  strikes  us  was  the  organization  of 
the  " Tract  Society"  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  organized  by  a  few  individuals,  at  New 
York,  in  1817,  with  a  view  to  supplying  the  poor 
with  suitable  religious  reading.  This  furnished  an 
easy  and  cheap  method  of  reaching  many  people 
the  Church  had  never  addressed,  and  answered  as 
well  for  defense  as  attack  on  the  sins  and  prejudices 
of  unbelievers.  It  was  an  old  measure  of  Mr.  Wes- 
ley, who  formed  the  first  society  of  the  sort  of 
which  we  have  any  record,  January,  1782.  The 
operations  of  this  new  society  were  limited  for  a 
number  of  years,  but  still  effective.  After  under- 
going various  modifications,  it  settled  down  upon  its 
present  basis.  Confining  itself  to  the  distribution  of 
our  tracts,   and   therefore  running  at  slight  expense, 


NEW  MEASURES. 


345 


it  has  done  an  immense  amount  of  good  with  small 
means.  Remembering  that  it  purchases  tracts  at  the 
rate  of  ten  to  twenty  pages  for  a  penny,  the  extent 
of  its  operations  may  be  inferred  from  the  following 
report  of  its  receipts  during  the  last  few  years: 


Year. 

Receipts. 

Year. 

Receipts. 

Year. 

Receipts. 

1853 

$6,420   82* 

l86l 

$4,042   43 

1868 

$15,012    77 

1854 

8,062   07 

1862 

4,756   82 

1869 

15.417    76 

1855 

7,68l    02 

1863 

8,718    25 

1870 

16,377    96 

1856 

3.388  49 

1864 

I2,6lO   91 

1871 

16,630   53 

1857 

5,849  26 

1865 

15,050   28 

1872 

18,990   58 

1858 

4,021  30 

1866 

14.574   24 

1873 

17.926    15 

1859 

4,148  12 

1867 

13,102    13 

1874 

16,666    15 

i860 

2,803  60 

In  the  year  18 18,  The  Methodist  Magazine  was 
reissued,  under  the  editorship  of  Rev.  Joshua  Soule. 
This  was  an  advance  step.  It  opened  a  medium  of 
communication  with  the  people  that  had  long  been 
needed.  Not  less  than  ten  thousand  subscribers  were 
obtained  the  first  year,  and  the  doctrines  and  institu- 
tions of  the  Church  became  better  understood,  and 
the  people  of  God  more  established  in  the  unity  of 
the  faith.  The  first  number  was  ornamented  with  a 
steel  engraving  of  Bishop  Asbury.  The  work  was 
published  regularly  until  1841,  when  it  assumed  the 
title  of  Quarterly  Review,  in  which  character  it  is 
still  issued — an  able  and  useful  periodical. 

About  this  time,  too,  another  effort  was  made  to 
promote  the  cause  of  education.  The  "Cokesbury 
College"  had  been  twice  burned,  an  attempt  to  estab- 
lish district  schools  had  failed,  and  the  people  were 
quite  discouraged;  but,  in  18 17,  Dr.  Samuel  K.  Jen- 
nings and   some  others  opened   a  literary  institution 

-This  does  not  include  the  receipts  of  the  Western  treasurer.  Whole 
amount  received  to  December  i,  1853,  was  not  less  than  $16,000. 


346  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

in  Baltimore,  which  they  called  "Asbury  College." 
This,  however,  appeared  but  for  a  little  time,  and 
then,  to  the  mortification  of  many,  it  vanished  away. 
The  same  year  an  academy  was  established  in  New- 
market, New  Hampshire,  under  the  patronage  of  the 
New  England  Conference,  and,  two  years  after,  an- 
other in  the  city  of  New  York,  under  the  patronage 
of  the  New  York  Conference.  These  were  approved 
by  the  next  General  Conference,  and  other  confer- 
ences were  advised  to  establish  similar  institutions. 
The  bishops  were  also  authorized  to  appoint  pres- 
idents, principals,  or  teachers  to  all  such  estab- 
lishments; but  this  was  not  effected  without  some 
opposition.  Though  the  Church  owed  so  much  to 
the  learning  of  its  founders,  some  did  not  realize  the 
importance  of  education.  This  may  be  attributed  in 
part  to  the  superior  success  of  our  preachers,  in  the 
absence  of  literary  training,  over  that  of  others  who 
had  been  thoroughly  prepared  for  the  work.  The 
academy  at  Newmarket  was  afterward  transferred  to 
Wilbraham,  Massachusetts,  where  it  has  flourished 
ever  since,  and  been  immensely  useful.  The  one  at 
New  York  was  removed  to  White  Plains,  New  York, 
and  died  after  a  few  years. 

OF  THE  DEATH   OF  JESSE  LEE. 

This  year  was  also  marked  by  the  death  of  that 
distinguished  man  of  God,  Jesse  Lee.  He  was  born 
in  Virginia  in  1758,  converted  fifteen  years  afterward, 
entered  the  itinerancy  in  1783,  and  continued  in  it 
till  called  to  his  heavenly  reward,  when  about  fifty- 
eight  years  of  age.  His  end  was  triumphant.  ' '  Glory ! 
Glory!    Halleluiah!    Jesus  reigns!"  were  among  his 


NEW  MEASURES.  347 

last  utterances.  Though  he  had  not  seen  eye  to  eye 
with  Bishop  M'Kendree,  and  there  had  been  consid- 
erable difference  between  them,  he  said  to  a  mutual 
friend,  when  near  his  end,  "Give  my  respects  to 
Bishop  M'Kendree,  and  tell  him  that  I  die  in  love 
with  all  the  preachers  ;  that  I  love  him,  and  that  he 
lives  in  my  heart." 

Mr.  Lee  was  a  man  of  sound  common  sense, 
limited  education,  ready  wit,  and  indomitable  perse- 
verance. Some  thought  him  ambitious ;  and  he  cer- 
tainly was  so,  to  do  good.  If  he  desired  to  be  a 
bishop,  it  was  pardonable  in  him,  as  he  was  worthy 
of  the  office,  and  had  earned  it  by  his  heroic  efforts 
for  the  cause  of  God,  and  only  failed  of  election  by 
one  vote.  But  he  was  too  independent  and  outspoken 
to  please  some  who  consult  safety  more  than  pro- 
gress. He  was  a  stanch  advocate  of  the  proposal  to 
make  the  presiding  elders  elective,  and  some  other 
modifications.  His  chief  competitor  for  the  bish- 
opric was  Mr.  Whatcoat,  a  good,  safe  man,  who  lost 
nothing  by  favoring  changes  in  the  policy  of  the 
Church.  Office  does  not  always  follow  the  highest 
merit,  either  in  Church  or  State.  But  Mr.  Lee  did 
a  work  that  entitled  him  to  an  honorable  rank  among 
his  brethren  in  earth  and  heaven.  He  entered  the 
ministry  when  the  Church  was  small  and  feeble,  hav- 
ing only  82  traveling  preachers,  and  13,740  mem- 
bers, and  left  it  with  716  ministers,  and  224,853 
members.  He  was  also  the  first  historian  of  Ameri- 
can Methodism,  and  recorded  many  important  facts 
to  enrich  the  pages  of  his  successors  in  that  line  of 
effort.  Dr.  Bangs,  who  knew  him  well,  says:  "His 
personal  appearance  was  respectable  and  commanding; 


348  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

his  countenance  intelligent,  and  marked  with  that 
shrewdness  by  which  he  was  peculiarly  distinguished; 
and  often  a  pleasant  smile  played  over  his  lips,  which 
gave  an  air  of  cheerfulness  to  his  conversation. 
He  stands  enrolled  among  those  early  Meth- 
odist preachers,  who  contributed  by  their  deep  piety, 
their  sacrifices  and  labors,  to  lay  the  foundation  of 
that  superstructure  which  has  since  risen  in  such 
beauty  and  grandeur  in  this  western  world." 

We  might  speak  of  another  most  interesting  char- 
acter, who  died  in  1816;  namely,  Rev.  George  Shad- 
ford.  He  came  out  from  England  in  1773,  influenced 
by  Captain  Webb,  returned  five  years  after,  on  ac- 
count of  the  war,  but  subsequently  came  back  and 
took  his  place  in  the  itinerant  ranks.  He  had  some 
wonderful  experiences,  and  achieved  a  vast  amount  of 
good ;  but  our  limits  will  not  allow  of  further  detail. 

THE  MISSIONARY  AND   BIBLE  SOCIETY   FORMED. 

The  labors  of  Methodists  had  been  so  emphatic- 
ally missionary  in  their  character,  that  little  had  been 
thought  of  missions  as  understood  by  others.  But 
now  that  some  of  the  societies  at  the  great  centers 
were  getting  stronger,  the  subject  began  to  attract 
attention,  which  led  to  the  organization  of  our  Mis- 
sionary and  Bible  Society  in  the  City  of  New  York, 
April  5,  1 8 19.  A  missionary  society  was  also  formed 
within  the  bounds  of  the  Philadelphia  Conference, 
about  the  same  time. 

The  next  General  Conference  "approved  of  both 
organizations ;  but,  considering  the  Book-room  was 
in  New  York,  and  for  some  other  reasons,  it  adopted 
the   constitution    of  the    society  located   there.      To 


NEW  MEASURES. 


349 


this  central  organization  were  soon  added  numerous 
auxiliaries,  and  the  missionary  spirit  has  continued 
to  increase  among  us  ever  since,  as  will  soon  appear. 
The  General  Conference  of  1836  recommended  the 
dissolution  of  the  Bible  department  of  the  society, 
with  the  view  of  co-operating  with  the  American 
Bible  Society,  which  was  done  soon  after  the  adjourn- 
ment of  that  body. 

This  brought  our  Church  into  pleasant  co-opera- 
tion with  that  noble  institution.  Four  years  after, 
Rev.  Edmund  S.  Janes  was  appointed  one  of  its 
financial  secretaries.  He  being  elected  bishop  in 
1844,  Dr.  Noah  Levings  succeeded  him  in  the  secre- 
taryship. At  his  death,  Dr.  Holdich  was  elected  to 
the  office,  and  still  retains  it.  Our  Church  has  been 
honorably  recognized  by  the  society  in  other  respects, 
and  contributes  annually  to  its  funds. 

Since  1836,  our  missionary  society  has  stood  on 
its  own  merits.  The  extent  of  its  operations  may  be 
inferred  from  the  following  exhibit  of  annual  receipts: 

RECEIPTS    OF   THE    METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    MISSIONARY 
SOCIETY. 


Year 

Amount. 

Year 

Amount. 

Year 

Amount. 

Year 

Amount. 

1820 

$823  04 

1834 

$35,700  15 

1848 

$8l,60O  34 

1862 

$272,523  71 

I82I 

2,328  76 

1835 

30,492  21 

1849 

84,045  15 

1863 

429,768  75 

1822 

2,547  39 

1836 

59,5!7  16 

1850 

104,579  54 

1864 

558,993  26 

1823 

5,427  H 

1837 

57,096  05 

1851 

126,471  31 

1865 

642,740  67 

1824 

3,589  92 

1838 

96,087  36 

1852 

152,482  48 

1866 

686,380  30 

1825 

4,140  16 

1839 

132,480  29 

1853 

338,068  39 

1867 

613,020  96 

1826 

4,964  11 

1840 

136,41087 

1854 

226,412  05 

1868 

606,661  69 

1827 

6,812  49 

184I 

139,925  76 

1855 

219,304  04 

1869 

634,704  " 

1828 

6,245  I7 

[842 

139,473.25 

1856 

238,441  92 

1870 

602,951  27 

1829 

14,176  11 

1843 

144,770  80 

1857 

272,190  48 

1871 

I  629,921  75 

1830 

13,1.-863 

1844 

146,578  78 

1858 

258,224  6l 

1872 

673,756  60 

183I 

9,95°  57 

1845 

94,562  27 

1859 

270,667  19 

1873 

1  689,736  64 

1832 

:ii, 379  66 

1846 

89,528  26 

i860 

262,722  77 

1874 

675,080  32 

1833 

117,097  05 

1847 

1  78,932  73 

1861 

,250,374  93 

3  5  O  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

How  and  where  these  funds  have  been  expended, 
will  appear  hereafter. 

THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  l820. 

This  body  convened  in  Baltimore  on  the  first  day 
of  May,  as  usual,  and  was  composed  of  eighty-nine 
delegates,  a  small  assembly  compared  with  that  which 
assembled  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  in  1872,  con- 
sisting of  four  hundred  and  twenty-one  delegates. 
Bishops  M'Kendree,  George,  and  Roberts,  presided. 
Their  administration  was  approved,  and  Bishop 
M'Kendree,  then  very  feeble  in  health,  was  affection- 
ately excused  from  any  further  episcopal  service  than 
he  might  feel  able  and  inclined  to  perform,  and  pro- 
vision was  made  for  his  support. 

OF  THE  APPOINTMENT  OF  PRESIDING  ELDERS. 

This  conference  was  distinguished  by  the  adoption 
of  a  new  rule  with  regard  to  the  power  of  the  bishops. 
The  history  of  episcopacy,  not  our  own,  was  calcu- 
lated to  create  suspicion,  and  suggest  caution.  The 
first  twelve  elders  ordained  were  necessarily  presiding 
elders,  their  ordination  being  particularly  designed  to 
furnish  the  people  with  the  sacraments.  To  meet 
this  demand,  they  had  to  sweep  over  a  wider  field 
than  was  even  then  embraced  in  a  single  circuit. 
(See  Emory's  Hist.  Dis.,  p.  129.)  This  suggested 
their  importance  in  other  respects,  particularly  in 
supervising  and  extending  the  work,  in  connection 
with  the  bishops.  In  1792,  the  General  Conference 
constituted  them  a  distinct  class  of  elders,  and  defined 
their  duties,  ordaining  that  they  should  be  chosen  by 
the   bishop    presiding.       This,    of    course,    gave    the 


NE  W  MEASURES.  3  5  I 

bishops  great  power.  Though  they  had  no  vote  in 
any  conference,  annual  or  general,  having  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  presiding  elders,  who  exercise  all  their 
great  authority  in  their  absence,  save  that  of  ordain- 
ing, they  could  easily  secure  the  election  of  ministers 
to  the  General  Conferences  of  their  own  way  of  think- 
ing on  most  subjects.  What  then  seemed  probable 
has  since  become  history.  Every  General  Confer- 
ence has  been  largely  composed  of  presiding  elders. 
But  there  was  a  feeling  in  some  leading  minds  in 
1820  that  our  government  gave  too  much  power  to 
the  bishops.  The  preachers  had  cheerfully  submitted 
to  Mr.  Wesley  and  taken  their  appointments  from  his 
assistants,  and  the  bishops  who  had  succeeded  to  his 
jurisdiction;  but  now  that  the' Church  had  come  to 
number  about  one  thousand  traveling  preachers,  many 
of  whom  were  the  equals  of  the  bishops  in  talents  and 
admiration  of  Methodism,  they  thought  it  would  be 
better  to  relieve  the  bishops  of  a  part  of  their  respon- 
sibility, and  give  it  to  the  conferences.  And  partic- 
ularly so,  as  the  sovereignty  of  the  bishops  over  the 
appointments  had  been  a  continual  source  of  irrita- 
tion from  the  beginning.  Rev.  James  O' Kelly 
was  lost  to  the  Church  by  it  in  1792,  with  many 
others.  Dr.  Coke  had  proposed  relief  twenty  years 
before,  which  failed,  no  doubt,  purely  by  reason  of 
the  high  respect  entertained  for  Bishop  Asbury.  In 
1808,  a  motion  was  made  in  the  General  Conference 
to  make  the  office  of  presiding  elder  elective  by  the 
votes  of  the  annual  conferences,  and  fifty-two  voted 
for  it,  but  seventy-three  against  it.  A  similar  motion 
was  made  in  181 2,  and  lost  by  only  three  votes.  It 
failed  again  in  18 16,  though  one  of  the  bishops  favored 


352  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

it.  Four  years  after,  a  similar  proposition  was  pre- 
sented and  lost,  creating  considerable  uneasiness,  when 
Dr.  Bangs  moved  the  reference  of  the  subject  to  a 
committee  of  three  on-  each  side,  to  confer  with  the 
bishops  and  report  what  alterations,  if  any,  might  be 
made  to  conciliate  the  wishes  of  the  brethren.  This 
prevailed,  and  Ezekiel  Cooper,  Stephen  G.  Roszel, 
Nathan  Bangs,  Joshua  Wells,  John  Emory,  and 
William  Capers  were  appointed.  After  proper  con- 
sultation with  the  bishops  the  committee  unani- 
mously reported,  May  20th,  to  be  inserted  in  the 
Discipline: 

"  I.  That  whenever,  in  any  annual  conference, 
there  shall  be  a  vacancy  or  vacancies  in  the  orifice  of 
presiding  elder,  in  consequence  of  his  period  of  serv- 
ice of  four  years  having  expired,  or  the  bishop  wish- 
ing to  remove  a  presiding  elder,  or  by  death,  resig- 
nation, or  otherwise,  the  bishop  or  president  of  the 
conference  having  ascertained  the  number  wanted 
from  any  of  these  causes,  shall  nominate  three  times 
the  number,  out  of  which  the  conference  shall  elect 
by  ballot,  without  debate,  the  number  wanted;  pro- 
vided, when  there  is  more  than  one  wanted,  not 
more  than  three  at  a  time  shall  be  nominated,  nor 
more  than  one  at  a  time  elected;  provided,  also, 
that  in  case  of  any  vacancy  or  vacancies  in  the  office 
of  presiding  elder  in  the  interval  of  an  annual  con- 
ference, the  bishop  shall  have  authority  to  fill  the 
said  vacancy  or  vacancies,  until  the  ensuing  annual 
conference. 

"2.  That  the  presiding  elders  be  and  hereby  are 
made  the  advisory  council  of  the  bishop  or  president 
of    the     conference     in     stationing    the    preachers." 


NE IV  MEASURES.  353 

(Bangs's  History,  Vol.  II,  pp.  335-347,  General  Con- 
ference Journal  for  1820.) 

After  some  conversation,  the  report  was  adopted, 
sixty-one  voting  for  it,  and  twenty-five  against  it,  seem- 
ing to  settle  the  vexed  question  forever.  But  it  did 
not.  Rev.  Joshua  Soule,  who  had  been  elected  bishop 
seven  days  before,  but  not  consecrated,  entertaining 
high  Episcopal  opinions,  informed  the  conference 
that  this  action  was  unconstitutional,  and  he  could 
not  consistently  with  his  views,  be  controlled  by  it. 
Bishop  M'Kendree  entertained  similar  views,  and 
thought  the  measure  subversive  of  the  itinerancy. 
This  brought  up  the  subject  again,  in  motions, 
counter  motions,  and  debates,  whereupon  Mr.  Soule 
resigned;  but  a  majority  stood  by  their  action,  and 
accepted  his  resignation.  But  in  view  of  the  solic- 
itude of  Bishop  M'Kendree,  and  other  eminent  men, 
the  new  rule  in  relation  to  presiding  elders  was  sus- 
pended for  four  years.  In  1824,  it  was  again  sus- 
pended till  1828,  when,  amid  the  storm  of  radicalism 
that  howled  over  the  Middle  States,  threatening  to 
sweep  away  the  very  foundations  of  the  Church,  it 
was  rescinded,  since  which  no  serious  effort  has  been 
made  to  revive  the  subject,  except  by  secessional 
factions  who  have  uniformly  centered  around  this,  as 
the  most  vulnerable  point  in  Methodism. 

OUR    RELATIONS    TO    THE    BRITISH    CONFERENCE. 

As  before  stated,  the  two  wars  with  England  in 
1776  and  181 2  greatly  disturbed  the  pleasant  rela- 
tions of  the  two  bodies  separated  by  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  more  than  by  any  difference  of  sentiment  or 
purpose.       The    last    had    created    no    little    conflict 


354  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  THODISM. 

between  our  preachers  in  Canada  and  the  English  mis- 
sionaries, particularly  in  the  Eastern  District.  This 
led  to  considerable  correspondence.  It  was,  how- 
ever, conducted  in  an  excellent  spirit,  all  parties 
seeming-  determined  not  to  contend,  nor  suffer  their 
feelings  to  be  agitated,  or  their  friendly  relations  to 
be  broken  up.  In  the  year  1820  the  General  Con- 
ference appointed  Mr.  John  Emory  a  delegate  to  the 
British  Conference,  and  adopted  an.  address  to  that 
body,  proposing  a  division  of  territory  as  the  best 
method  of  bringing  the  question  of  difference  to  a 
settlement.  The  proposition  was  duly  considered, 
and  acceded  to,  by  which  Lower  Canada  became 
connected  with  the  English  Conference,  and  Upper 
Canada  retained  its  former  connection  with  us;  each 
body  withdrawing  all  its  preachers  from  the  other's 
ground,  and  agreeing  in  no  way  to  interfere  there- 
with ;  an  example  of  urbanity  and  prudent  manage- 
ment seldom,  if  ever,  set  before  by  two  great  denom- 
inations of  Christians.  We  mention  this  to  show  how 
our  Church  became  disconnected  with  a  portion  of 
territory  upon  which  she  bestowed  early  attention, 
and  in  which  she  achieved  magnificent  results;  and 
will  only  add,  that  there  has  been  no  revival  of  the 
difficulty  since. 

This  was  not  the  only  advantage  of  the  measure. 
Mr.  Emory  bore  a  fraternal  letter  to  the  British  Con- 
ference proposing  an  interchange  of  delegates  with 
that  body,  which  was  cordially  accepted.  Though 
our  modes  of  procedure  differ  in  some  respects,  we 
are  one  in  name,  spirit,  and  purpose,  and  find  no  diffi- 
culty in  affiliating  as  we  happen  to  come  within  each 
other's  lines.      And  if  we  mistake  not  the   signs  of 


NE IV  ME  AS  URES.  355 

the  times,  this  good  example  is  being  imitated  by 
the  younger  and  smaller  bodies  of  Methodists,  and, 
indeed,  by  all  Christian  denominations. 

ORIGIN   OF   OUR   HYMN-BOOK. 

As  our  Hymn-book  is  being  considerably  criti- 
cised, and  seems  to  be  approaching  another  revision, 
it  may  be  interesting  to  the  young  reader  to  glance 
at  its  early  history.  The  first  collection  in  use  in 
this  country  was  prepared  and  printed  by  Mr.  Wesley, 
and  was  entitled,  '  'A  collection  of  Psalms  and  Hymns 
for  the  Lord's  day."  It  was  printed  in  1784.  We 
are  not  informed  whether  it  underwent  any  essential 
change  till  the  time  of  which  we  are  speaking,  but 
presume  it  did  not,  as  there  was  little  enterprise  in 
the  Book  Concern  in  those  days.  But  the  General 
Conference  of  1820  adopted  a  revision  made  by  the 
Book  Committee,  and  ordered  it  to  be  printed.  That 
edition  was  afterward  altered  by  affixing  the  names 
of  the  tunes  to  the  hymns,  and  in  1836  a  supplement 
was  added.  Thus  it  remained  till  superseded  by 
another  revision,  ordered  by  the  General  Conference 
of  1848.  Imperfect  as  any  of  these  revisions  were, 
they  had  the  merit  of  being  our  standard  Hymn- 
book,  and  were  current  in  all  our  Churches.  The 
poorest  of  them  is  better  than  the  trash  that  is  now 
being  forced  into  our  pulpits  by  private  enterprise. 
Every  minister  who  preaches  to  secure  a  specific 
result,  will  try  to  select  lessons  and  hymns  that  have 
a  tendency  to  produce  it.  But  if  he  is  to  be  pre- 
sented with  a  different  hymn-book  in  every  pulpit 
that  he  may  visit,  he  must  be  embarrassed.  We 
have  lately  encountered  half  a  dozen  strange  substi- 


356  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

tutes  for  our  standard  collection,  in  which,  for  want 
of  time,  perhaps,  we  failed  to  find  any  thing  appro- 
priate, one  of  them  containing-  less  than  seventy 
hymns,  all  told,  and  that  in  a  splendid  church. 

The  General  Conference  of  1820  also  provided  for 
the  publication  of  a  tune-book,  adapted  to  our  wants. 
This  continued  in  use  till  1832,  when  it  was  revised 
and  republished.  Four  years  after,  arrangements 
were  made  for  an  improved  edition,  which  was  in  use 
for  several  years,  when  others  were  issued,  of  which 
we  need  not  speak. 

OF  FREE  AND  PEWED  CHURCHES. 

Up  to  this  time,  most  of  our  houses  of  worship 
were  free.  The  difficulty  of  erecting  churches  on 
this  principle,  however,  had  become  quite  obvious  in 
many  places,  and  some  had  adopted  the  pew  system. 
This  gave  considerable  alarm,  and  the  General  Con- 
ference took  decided  ground  on  the  subject.  But 
its  action  had  little  effect.  The  people  in  certain  sec- 
tions found  free  houses  utterly  impracticable,  without 
encumbering  themselves  with  unmanageable  debts, 
and  therefore  took  the  responsibility  of  erecting 
pewed  houses,  as  their  English  brethren  did  before 
Mr.  Wesley's  death,  and  have  ever  done  since.  (See 
Dr.  Dixon's  remarks  before  the  General  Conference 
of  1848.)  This  was  always  a  little  afflictive  to  the 
South  and  West;  but  they  endured  it  as  a  less  evil 
than  no  churches  at  all,  which  was  the  other  alterna- 
tive in  many  places.  Had  there  been  no  restriction 
of  this  kind,  it  is  believed  we  should  have  had  more 
and  better  churches,  with  less  debts;  perhaps  not. 
But  now,  if  enough  desire  a  pewed  house  in  any  part 


NE  W  MEASURES.  357 

of  the  country,  to  build  one,  and  maintain  public 
worship  therein  in  a  peaceable  and  brotherly  way, 
they  will  be  treated  in  a  kind  and  conciliatory 
spirit  by  any  conference  in  the  connection,  however 
strongly  biased  in  favor  of  free  churches.  In  essen- 
tial things,  Methodists  plead  for  unity ;  in  7ion-essen- 
tials,  for  liberty ;  and  in  all  things  for  charity.  If  we 
mistake  not,  however,  the  tendency  is  in  favor  of 
free  churches.  As  liberality  and  the  desire  for  the 
salvation  of  the  masses  increases,  free  churches  will 
become  more  common.  At  all  events,  many  old  aris- 
tocratic pews  are  now  wide  open  to  all  the  people,  invit- 
ing them  to  come  in  without  money  and  without  price. 

DISTRICT  CONFERENCES  INTRODUCED. 

There  was  some  complaint  among  the  local  preach- 
ers about  this  time,  because  they  were  amenable  to 
the  quarterly  conferences.  They  claimed  the  right 
of  being  tried  by  their  peers.  To  quiet  any  uneasi- 
ness from  this  source,  the  General  Conference  of  1820 
provided  for  " District  Conferences,"  to  be  composed 
of  all  the  local  preachers  in  any  one  presiding  elder's 
district  who  had  been  licensed  two  years.  The  elder 
of  the  district  was  to  preside,  or,  in  his  absence,  the 
conference  might  elect  one  of  its  own  body  to  take 
his  place.  This  new  judicatory  was  empowered  to 
grant  and  renew  licenses  to  preach,  to  recommend 
candidates  to  the  annual  conferences  for  admission  on 
trial,  and  for  orders ;  and  to  try,  suspend,  expel,  or 
acquit,  such  local  preachers  as  might  be  accused ;  but 
they  could  license  no  one  to  preach  unless  he  was 
recommended  for  that  office  by  the  quarterly  confer- 
ence of  his  circuit.      But   this   arrangement   did   not 


358  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  thodism. 

work  as  was  hoped.  Many  of  the  most  useful  of  the 
local  preachers  disapproved  of  it,  and  would  not  take 
the  trouble  to  attend  the  conferences ;  while  those 
who  needed  restraint,  rather  than  more  liberty,  made 
these  meetings  the  occasion  of  considerable  mischief. 
The  result  was,  their  powers  were  restricted  from 
time  to  time,  and  restored  to  the  quarterly  confer- 
ence ;  and  in  1836  the  district  conferences  were  dis- 
banded, to  await  another  experiment,  which  will  be 
noticed  in  its  chronological  order. 

OF   NEW   CHURCHES. 

This  conference  took  very  strong  ground  with 
regard  to  new  places  of  worship,  requiring  that  they 
should  be  firmly  secured  to  the  Church  by  our  deed 
of  settlement.  And,  to  avoid  embarrassing  debts,  it 
forbade  the  commencement  of  any  new  one  until 
three-fourths  of  the  amount  necessary  to  complete  it 
should  be  subscribed,  a  rule  which  has  operated, 
perhaps,  to  restrain  extravagant  enterprises ;  but,  like 
that  which  required  "churches  to  be  built  plain  and 
decent,  with  free  seats,"  has  been  largely  disregarded. 
Our  departures  from  these  rules  have  occasioned  no 
little  trouble,  but,  on  the  whole,  have  probably  con- 
tributed to  the  furtherance  of  the  Gospel.  Many 
have  been  drawn  in  and  converted  to  God  who 
would  not  have  been  reached  had  the  Discipline  been 
rigidly  followed.  But  we  have  evidently  gone  to 
the  extreme  in  building  costly  churches,  and  shall 
learn  from  our  embarrassments  to  be  more  cautious 
in  the  future.  From  being  too  lax  we  became  too 
lavish,  and  have  a  fair  prospect  of  reaching  the  happy 
medium. 


NE  W  MEASURES.  359 

PROCEEDINGS    FOLLOWING  THE  GENERAL    CONFERENCE 
OF    l820. 

This  body  adjourned,  after  a  most  exciting  and 
important  session,  with  twelve  annual  conferences, 
two  effective  bishops,  and  large  educational  and  mis- 
sionary plans,  to  be  worked  out  over  a  vast  extent 
of  country.  Louisiana  contained  a  population  of 
220,000  inhabitants,  mostly  French  Roman  Catholics 
and  slaves,  with  only  one  hundred  and  fifty-one 
white,  and  fifty-eight  colored  members,  in  charge  of 
one  presiding  elder  and  two  preachers.  The  prospect 
was  not  encouraging.  The  Indians  promised  less, 
perhaps,  but  received  considerable  attention.  They 
were  supposed  to  number  about  185,000  in  the 
United  States  and  Canada.  They  generally  believed 
in  the  Kesha-Muneto — the  Good  Spirit ;  and  equally 
in  the  Manshe-Muneto — the  evil  spirit,  with  any  num- 
ber of  subordinate  deities,  called  Muneto.  Then  they 
were  divided  into  man)*  tribes,  each  having  a  differ- 
ent language.  Besides,  they  were  greatly  cursed  by 
the  whites,  who  cheated  them,  and  infuriated  them 
with  bad  rum.  Still,  our  missionaries  achieved  much 
success,  and  their  experiences  and  observations  fur- 
nish an  interesting  chapter  in  the  history  of  missions. 
About  this  time,  the  Government  granted  $16,000 
for  the  education  of  the  Indians,  a  part  of  which 
went  to  the  support  of  our  schools  among  them. 
The  origin  of  the  work  among  the  Wyandot  Indians 
was  remarkable.  A  free  colored  man  in  Virginia, 
by  the  name  of  Stewart,  becoming  converted,  felt 
that  he  must  go  somewhere  north-west  in  pursuit 
of  the  "lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel."     In  1816 


360  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

he  started,  and  continued  his  march  until  he  reached 
the  Indians  on  the  Sandusky  River,  where  he  com- 
menced to  tell  the  story  of  the  cross,  beginning  with 
an  old  Indian  woman.  The  next  day,  his  congrega- 
tion was  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  an  old  man. 
Both  were  soon  converted.  Thus,  he  continued  his 
labors  till  a  missionary  was  duly  appointed,  and  the 
mission  fell  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  J.  B.  Finley, 
whose  connection  with  it  is  full  of  interest.  Stewart 
died  in  the  Lord  among  his  people  December  17, 
1823,  but  his  work  abides.  How  strange  are  the 
ways  of  Providence  ! 

The  missionary  spirit  seemed  to  increase  rapidly, 
and  many  auxiliaries  were  formed.  Rev.  J.  A. 
Merrill  was  appointed  a  missionary  within  the  bounds 
of  the  New  England  Conference,  and  traversed  Ver- 
mont, New  Hampshire,  and  Maine,  laying  the 
foundation  of  many  of  the  societies  which  have  long 
appeared  in  the  minutes.  In  answer  to  questions 
proposed  by  the  society,  he  said:  "I  have  visited 
and  preached  in  seventy  towns,  traveled  3,670  miles, 
preached  240  sermons  in  about  eight  months."  He 
further  says,  in  relation  to  Lunenburg,  Vermont:  "I 
have  attended  a  number  of  meetings  in  that  place, 
and  the  power  of  God  was  manifested  among  the 
people.  ...  At  one  time  the  whole  assembly 
rose  and  requested  prayers." 

Alabama  was  admitted  as  a  State  in  18 19,  and 
was  immediately  put  under  cultivation  by  the  itiner- 
ants, who  traversed  the  country.  The  total  increase, 
for  182 1,  was  81  preachers,  and  21,256  members. 
Rev.  Fitch  Reed  was  this  year  sent  to  York  (Toronto), 
Canada,    from   which   he  reported    104   members   the 


NEW  MEASURES.  36 1 

year  following.  What  hath  God  wrought  in  that 
flourishing  city  since ! 

The  missionary  cause  and  Methodism  were  greatly 
benefited  by  the  flaming  zeal  and  incomparable 
eloquence  of  John  Summerfield,  who  came  from 
Ireland,  and  joined  the  New  York  Conference  in 
1 82 1.  Vast  multitudes  were  attracted,  by  his  mar- 
velous power,  to  hear  of  God  and  religion,  who  were 
too  prejudiced  to  listen  to  ordinary  men.  Methodism 
owes  much  to  remarkable  men,  thus  called  out  in 
God's  providence  to  meet  emergencies.  Summer- 
field's  race  was  short,  but  it  was  exceedingly  brilliant 
and  effective.  He  died  in  1826,  in  the  twenty-eighth 
year  of  his  age,  and  the  eighth  of  his  ministry. 

In  1823,  Rev.  Alfred  Brunson  (still  living,  as 
we  write)  was  appointed  to  the  Detroit  Circuit,  Mich- 
igan, which  extended  four  hundred  miles  through  the 
country;  and,  with  his  colleague,  increased  the  mem- 
bership to  161,  where  now  in  the  two  conferences 
in  that  State  we  have  571  preachers,  and  49,679 
members. 

Florida  had  been  recently  ceded  to  the  United 
States  by  Spain,  to  compensate  for  damages  done  to 
her  commerce.  It  was  originally  settled  by  Spanish 
Roman  Catholics;  but  nothing  daunted  by  this  cir- 
cumstance the  Rev.  Joshua  N.  Glenn  was  sent  to  St. 
Augustine,  the  oldest  town  in  North  America,  and  the 
capital  of  East  Florida,  and  raised  a  society  of  fifty-two 
members,  forty  of  whom  were  colored.  Twenty-two 
years  after,  the  Florida  Conference  reported  6,816 
members,  and  32  traveling  preachers,  all  of  whom 
went  with  the  Church  South  in  1845.  Let  us  con- 
sider the  courage  of  the  fathers  in  these  unpromising 

3i 


362  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

beginnings,  and  the  results  which  have  followed. 
They  believed  the  Gospel,  properly  presented,  would 
convert  not  wild  Indians  only,  but  Catholics. 

The  Rev.  Jesse  Walker  was  the  same  year  sent 
out  as  a  missionary  to  St.  Louis,  on  the  Mississippi, 
a  town  originally  settled  by  French  Romanists,  and 
in  a  very  low  state  of  morals ;  but  he  raised  a  society 
of  nearly  one  hundred  members  and  built  a  little 
church.  The  St.  Louis  Conference  of  our  Church 
now  numbers  16,493  members,  and  that  of  the 
Church  South,  137  preachers,  and  23,800  members, 
to  say  nothing  of  many  thousands  connected  with 
other  branches  of  the  Wesleyan  family,  all  of  which 
sprang  from  that  unpromising  beginning. 

During  the  four  years  following  the  General 
Conference  of  1820,  there  was  much  peace  and  pros- 
perity. The  net  increase  to  the  Church  was  68,633 
members,  and  376  traveling  preachers;  making  the 
total  membership  of  the  Church  329,795.  (Bangs's 
History,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  102-15 1.) 

THE    GENERAL    CONFERENCE    OF    1 824. 

The  General  Conference  of  1824  was  distinguished 
in  several  respects.  It  was  honored  with  the  pres- 
ence of  Rev.  Richard  Reece,  as  a  representative  from 
the  British  Conference,  and  Rev.  John  Hannah,  as 
his  traveling  companion.  This  was  the  first  time  the 
Church  had  received  the  Christian  salutations  of  that 
body  by  an  official  representative,  and  this  occurred 
in  reciprocation  of  the  regard  the  conference  mani- 
fested for  its  honored  matron  four  years  before  in 
sending  Mr.  Emory  representative  to  her  annual 
assembly.     The   intercourse   was   both   pleasant   and 


NEW  MEASURES.  363 

profitable,  and  has  since  been  kept  up,  to  the  credit 
of  the  parties,  the  honor  of  religion,  and  the  unity 
of  Methodism.  Our  Church  has  since  been  repre- 
sented among  them  by  Dr.  William  Capers,  Bishop 
Soule,  Dr.  Fisk,  Dr.  Olin,  and  Bishops  Simpson  and 
Ames.  In  return  they  have  sent  to  us  Rev.  William 
Lord,  Drs.  Newton,  Dixon,  Hannah,  Thornton,  and 
Wiseman.  Distant,  we  hope,  will  be  the  day  when 
any  thing  shall  occur  to  disturb  the  fraternity  of 
these  grand  old  organizations.  The  difference  be- 
tween us  is  not  essential;  nothing,  indeed,  but  what 
either  of  us  could  cheerfully  adopt  in  an  exchange 
of  position.  If  the  question  should  be  started  as  to 
which  is  the  most  thoroughly  Wesleyan,  we,  of 
course,  would  contend  earnestly.  In  regard  to  free 
seats,  organs,  and  some  other  minor  matters,  neither 
will  be  likely  to  covet  investigation.  As  to  our 
episcopacy  and  ordinations,  we  are  just  what  Mr. 
Wesley  meant  we  should  be,  all  but  the  name  bishop. 
That  for  prudential  reasons,  he  did  not  fancy.  But 
their  ordinations  are  not  Wesleyan  in  this  sense. 
Mr.  Wesley  did  not  authorize  them,  though  we  have 
no  doubt,  if  he  were  on  earth,  they  would  have  his 
approval.  Nor  are  we  less  defensible  on  other 
points ;  but  it  is  not  necessary  to  refer  to  them.  We 
have  made  these  allusions  for  the  exclusive  benefit 
of  croakers,  who  sometimes  complain  that  we  have 
departed  from  Wesley. 

OF    LAY    REPRESENTATION. 

This  conference  received  numerous  memorials  from 
laymen  and  local  preachers,  claiming  the  "right"  to 
representation    in    the   legislative   department   of  the 


364  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Church.  These  were  referred  to  a  committee  who 
reported  it  inexpedient  to  grant  the  prayer  of  the 
petitioners,  with  a  circular  to  be  sent  to  them  on  the 
subject.    The  report  was  freely  discussed  and  adopted. 

Education  was  treated  with  more  zeal  and  deter- 
mination than  ever,  the  Augusta  College  having 
been  opened  the  year  before.  It  enjoys  the  honor 
of  being  the  oldest  living  Methodist  institution  of 
the  kind  in  the  country.  The  Missionary  Society 
made  a  feeble  report  of  receipts  from  the  beginning 
of  .$14,716.2454,  which  the  conference  received  with 
thanksgiving  to  God,  saying,  "We  began  feeble, 
but  God  has  strengthened  us;  we  began  fearful,  but 
God  has  encouraged  and  assured  us." 

The  conference  also  glanced  at  the  claims  of  the 
American  Colonization  Society,  but  hesitated  to  in- 
dorse them  for  want  of  information.  It  also  gave 
some  attention  to  slavery,  about  which  its  predeces- 
sors had  made  many  rules,  always  denouncing  it 
as  an  evil,  but  never  with  satisfactory  results,  and 
made  arrangements  to  manage  rather  than  extirpate 
it,  seeming  to 'feel  that  it  was  beyond  the  reach  of 
ecclesiastical  control.  It  elected  two  additional  bish- 
ops, Revs.  Joshua  Soule  and  Elijah  Hedding,  and 
planted  the  whole  board  on  the  book  concern  for 
support.  It  also  authorized  the  bishops  to  select  a 
delegate  to  visit  the  Wesleyan  Conference  in  1826, 
which  was  not  done,  so  that  none  was  sent  to  us 
from  that  body  in  1828.  Finding  that  the  circuit 
system  did  not  allow  of  proper  pastoral  supervision 
and  Sunday-school  instruction  in  the  larger  towns, 
the  bishops  were  requested,  in  effect,  to  restrict  the 
circuits    or   supplant    them    by   stations,    which   was 


NEW  MEASURES.  365 

doubtless  a  step  in  the  right  direction.  If  the  cir- 
cuit system  converted  more,  of  which  we  are  by  no 
means  certain,  it  did  not  gather  into  the  Church  and 
retain  so  many. 

from   1824  to   1828. 

Running  hastily  over  the  history  of  the  Church 
from  this  point,  we  find  it  every-where  marked  with 
revivals  and  improvements.  The  missionary  spirit 
was  gradually  advancing,  and  more  interest  was 
being  felt  in  education;  but  the  mortification  of  the 
Church  in  relation  to  education  was  not  complete, 
though  it  was  very  great.  In  1826,  the  Pittsburg 
Conference  started  another  literary  institution  under 
nattering  circumstances.  It  was  denominated  ''Mad- 
ison College,"  and  was  under  the  presidency  of  Rev. 
Henry  B.  Bascom;  but  it  soon  passed  away,  for  the 
want  of  funds.  The  academy,  however,  established 
at  Wilbraham  the  same  year,  under  the  charge  of 
Dr.  Fisk,  has  run  a  glorious  race  of  usefulness  and 
done  the  Church  incalculable  service.  Though  it  has 
suffered  severe  losses  by  fire  at  different  times,  it  is 
now  in  the  height  of  its  prosperity. 

OF    DENOMINATIONAL    PERIODICALS. 

In  18 1 5,  The  New  England  Missionary  Magazine 
was  commenced  at  Concord,  New  Hampshire,  edited 
by  Rev.  Martin  Ruter,  but  was  suspended  after  a 
few  months.  In  1823,  Ziori s  Herald  appeared  in 
Boston,  the  first  weekly  Methodist  paper  in  the 
world,  measuring  nine  by  sixteen  inches.  It  has  ex- 
erted a  powerful  influence  on  the  interests  of  the 
Church,    and    is    likely   to    hold   on   its  way  to   the 


366  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

distant  future.  It  was  the  only  Church  paper  really 
open  to  abolitionists  during  the  long  antislavery 
struggle.  On  the  9th  day  of  September,  1826,  the 
Christian  Advocate  made  its  first  appearance  at  the 
book  concern  in  New  York.  Its  subscription-list 
soon  numbered  thirty  thousand,  far  exceeding  that  of 
every  other  paper  in  the  country.  It  has  been  en- 
larged several  times,  till  it  has  become  a  mammoth 
sheet.  Its  present  issue  is  about  fifty  thousand  cop- 
ies per  week. 

THE    SUNDAY-SCHOOL    UNION    ORGANIZED. 

An  institution,  established  the  year  following, 
contemplated  another  necessity  which  it  aimed  to 
meet.  We  refer  to  the  "  Sunday-school  Union  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church."  The  Church 
commenced  Sabbath-school  operations  as  early  as 
1790,  but  had  always  been  embarrassed  for  the 
want  of  Bibles  and  other  books.  Measures  had 
been  adopted,  several  years  before,  with  reference  to 
these  necessities,  but  they  had  not  proved  sufficient 
to  their  supply.  The  design  of  this  institution  was 
to  afford  pecuniary  aid  to  poor  schools,  and,  by  the 
establishment  of  auxiliaries  and  other  means,  to  ex- 
tend and  strengthen  the  Sabbath-school  work.  The 
society  is  now  exercising  a  particular  watch-care  over 
this  department  of  effort  throughout  the  connection, 
and  in  raising  funds  and  making  donations  to  new 
and  poor  schools  at  home  and  among  our  mission- 
ary stations.  A  small  collection  from  each  of  our 
Churches  will  enable  the  managers  to  do  immense 
good,  without  injury  to  any  one.  It  is  worked  with 
little   expense,    not   being   a   publishing   house,    and 


NEW  MEASURES. 


367 


can,    therefore,    appropriate    its   receipts   to   the   one 
object  of  its  existence. 

In  tracing  the  history  of  this  society,  we  find  that 
at  its  anniversary,  held  May  14,  1845,  there  were  in 
the  Church  5,005  schools,  47,252  officers  and  teach- 
ers, and  263,775  scholars,  and  that  the  total  receipts 
had  been  only  $685.22  in  four  years;  and  up  to  Jan- 
uary 1,  1847,  tney  were  $2,336.88.  Since  then  they 
have  been  as  follows: 


Year. 


1849 
1850 
1851 

1852 

1853 
1854 
1855 

iSs6 


Receipts. 

Year. 

$3,787  66 

1857 

4,058  74 

1858 

5,008  60 

1859 

i860 

7,258  09 

l86l 

9,584  17 

1862 

10,170  23 

1863 

11,381   54 

1864 

12,316  37 

1865 

Receipts. 

Year. 

$11,268  SS 

1866 

11,299  57 

1867 

12,796  74 

1868 

2,007  32 

1869 

11,214  64 

1870 

^ 9,595  89 

187I 

12,978  48 

1872 

1873 

17,738  37 

1874 

Receipts. 


$19,620  08 

21,286  02 
20,670  82 
22,406  8^ 
23,417    57 

22,992  88 
21,473  20 
20,612  17 


Now  (1874)  we  show  18,628  schools,  200,492 
officers  and  teachers,  1,363,376  scholars,  indicating 
a  pretty  large  increase  in  twenty-nine  years;  and 
still  the  fields  are  white  to  the  harvest. 


FOUR-DAYS     MEETINGS. 


The  year  1827  brought  out  another  prudential 
measure,  which,  for  a  time,  exerted  a  powerful  influ- 
ence for  good;  we  refer  to  "four-days'"  meetings. 
This  was  not  the  first  time  that  religious  meetings  had 
been  extended  beyond  a  single  day.  Under  partic- 
ular circumstances  they  had  been  continued  to  great 
lengths,  and  were  justified  only  by  extraordinary  re- 
ligious interest  that  pervaded  the  community.  But 
these    lifour  days'"    meetings  were  instituted  where 


368  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

there  was  no  interest,  for  the  purpose  of  promoting 
a  revival.  They  were  introduced  by  the  Rev.  John 
Lord,  of  the  New  England  Conference,  in  the  month 
of  September,  1827.  Such  were  their  good  effects 
they  soon  spread  abroad  in  every  direction,  and  were 
holden  by  most  of  the  evangelical  denominations  with 
success.  But  at  length  they  seemed  to  lose  their 
power,  and  are  now  held  with  less  frequency.  But 
they  opened  the  way  to  more  protracted  efforts,  for 
the  salvation  of  souls,  which  have  been  perpetuated  to 
the  present  day  and  seem  likely  to  be  continued.  It 
will  be  a  sad  day  for  the  world  when  all  our  public 
religious  operations  shall  be  confined  to  the  Sabbath 
and  an  evening  or  two  in  each  week.  This  can  never 
be  the  case,  we  think,  till  the  ministry  and  the 
Church  become  generally  backslidden  from  God. 
While  they  feel  concerned  for  the  cause  of  Christ, 
they  will  see  the  necessity  of  holding  extra  meetings, 
and  calling  in  their  brethren  to  help  them  preach  and 
pray,  and  arouse  the  people  to  a  proper  state  of 
anxiety  about  their  souls.  And  it  is  to  be  hoped 
they  will  not  want  the  necessary  courage  to  hold 
them,  though  some  may  mock,  and  accuse  them  of 
"getting  7/p  revivals."  The  truth  is,  those  who  do 
right  will  be  censured,  and  especially  if  they  infringe 
upon  secular  time  by  their  religious  movements. 
Many  people  will  never  brook  such  "extravagance." 
But  there  are  some  who  will  rejoice  in  it.  They 
may  be  a  small  minority,  but,  nevertheless,  they  are 
the  hope  of  the  Church.  God  has  gained  more  con- 
quests by  these  little  bands  of  earnest,  burning  Chris- 
tians, than  by  whole  kingdoms  of  professors,  who 
have  had  a  name  to  live  while  they  were  dead. 


NE  W  ME  AS  URES.  3  69 

The  year  1825  was  a  remarkable  year  for  revivals 
among  the  Indians,  in  which  the  famous  Peter  Jones 
acted  a  considerable  part.  New  Orleans,  which  was 
settled  near  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century  by 
French  Roman  Catholics  (their  religion  established 
by  law),  was,  perhaps,  as  vile  a  place  as  there  was 
on  the  continent.  In  1763  it  was  ceded  to  Spain, 
in  1 80 1  it  passed  over  to  the  French  Republic,  and 
three  years  after,  to  the  United  States  by  purchase. 
Then  it  began  to  thrive.  The  first  Protestant  Church 
in  the  place  was  erected  by  the  Presbyterians  in 
1820.  The  Methodists  made  several  efforts  to  secure 
a  foothold,  but  with  little  success  until  1825,  when 
Rev.  William  Winans  was  placed  on  the  Mississippi 
District,  and  took  it  under  his  care.  The  next  year 
the  minutes  show  twenty-three  white  and  sixty 
colored  members.  Twelve  years  later,  the  town  em- 
braced five  hundred  and  seventy  colored  and  sev- 
enty white  members.  Mobile  and  Pensacola  were  en- 
tered by  missionaries  about  the  same  time,  under 
similar  difficulties,  but  have  made  good  progress. 
This  year  the  total  net  increase  was  forty-two  minis- 
ters, and  19,672  members.  It  was,  however,  a  sad 
year  for  the  Wyandot  Mission,  suffering  as  it  did, 
the  loss  by  death  of  "  Between-the-logs, "  a  most 
eminent  chief,  whose  Christian  influence  had  contrib- 
uted much  to  the  elevation  of  his  people. 

DEATH  OF  FREEBORN  GARRETTSON. 

This  year,  too,  closed  the  career  of  that  remarka- 
ble man  of  God,  Rev.  Freeborn  Garrettson,  who 
joined  the  itinerant  ranks  in  1775,  when  the  whole 
Church    consisted    of   nineteen    preachers    and    3,148 


3  JO  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

members.  He  had  traversed  the  country  from  Nova 
Scotia  to  South  Carolina,  and  proved  himself  true 
and  faithful  in  every  emergency.  After  fifty-two 
years  of  unquestioned  fidelity  to  the  Master  he  fin- 
ished his  course  with  joy,  leaving  the  struggling  Church 
of  his  early  choice  with  1,642  ministers  and  421,- 
105  members.  We  might  make  honorable  mention 
also  of  James  Smith,  Seth  Crowell,  and  other  noble 
itinerants,  who  entered  into  rest  about  the  same  time, 
if  our  limits  would  permit.  (See  Bangs's  History, 
Vol.  Ill,  page  364.) 


THE  REFORM  MO  VEMENT.  3  7 1 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  I 82 8 TROUBLE  WITH  RE- 
FORMERS  METHODIST  PROTESTANT  CHURCH  ORGAN- 
IZED  AFFAIRS    IN    CANADA PUBLISHING    FUND DEATH 

OF    BISHOP    GEORGE NEW    SOURCES    OF    CONTROVERSY 

SUCCESS  WITH  THE  INDIANS,  ETC. GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

OF    1832 DEATH   OF  TWO  BISHOPS  ETC. 

WE  have  now  reached  the  period  when  the  writer 
took  his  first  lessons  in  Methodism,  under  the 
ministrations  of  Rev.  Ebenezer  Blake,  of  the  New 
England  Conference,  and  a  member  of  the  General 
Conference  of  1824.  About  noon,  one  Summer's 
day,  in  1828,  a  dusty,  weather-beaten  old  man  drove 
to  the  door  of  "mine  host,"  and  alighted  with  his 
saddle-bags  in  hand  for  dinner.  On  coming  to  the 
table  he  invoked  a  blessing  and  proceeded  to  detail 
the  circumstances  of  a  trial  to  which  he  had  been 
subjected,  and  which  had  just  been  decided  against 
him  by  the  General  Conference,  holden  at  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  leaving  him  completely  out  of  the 
Church.  He  had  traveled  on  horseback  from  far 
down  in  Maine  to  that  Western  city  to  argue  his 
appeal,  and  justify  his  sentiments,  and  was  now  work- 
ing his  way  back  to  die  alone.  But  he  was  not  mad. 
He  told  his  story  in  a  good  spirit,  censured  nobody, 
loved  the  Church  still,  and  the  conference  too,  all 
having  treated  him  very  kindly,  but  thought  he  was 
right  in  the  matter  of  difference  between  them.     After 


372  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

resting  a  day  or  two,  he  passed  on,  and  died  several 
years  after,  a  good  old  man,  having  honestly  kept 
the  faith  as  he  understood  it.  That  was  Rev.  Joshua 
Randall,  a  strong  man  in  some  respects,  but  Dr. 
Fisk  who  argued  the  case  against  him,  carried  the 
whole  conference,  with  a  single  exception.  This  was 
our  first  acquaintance  with  General  Conferences. 

TROUBLE    WITH    REFORMERS. 

As  suggested  in  writing  of  the  last  General  Con- 
ference, a  movement  was  inaugurated  several  years 
before  to  effect  a  radical  reform  in  our  Church 
government.  It  first  appeared  in  private  circles. 
The  subject  of  lay  representation  in  the  conferences 
was  the  main  topic,  and  it  was  argued  that  such 
representation  was  both  right  and  expedient,  and 
should  be  allowed.  Some  became  very  sanguine, 
and  committed  themselves  to  bring  about  the  pro- 
posed change. 

But  private  talk  was  not  alone  sufficient,  and  pub- 
lic discussion  was  deemed  inexpedient,  since  few  had 
courage  enough  to  come  out  openly  and  vindicate 
their  new  conceptions;  and,  besides,  there  was  little 
opportunity;  for  the  interest  was  so  limited,  the 
agitation  would  not  be  tolerated  in  ordinary  religious 
meetings,  and  special  meetings  could  not  be  sus- 
tained. To  give  greater  publicity  to  the  question, 
the  leading  spirits  in  the  movement  started  a  paper 
at  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  in  1820,  called  the  Wesleyan 
Repository.  This  afforded  a  fine  opportunity  for 
the  malcontents  to  vent  their  spleen  against  the 
Church,  and  paint  the  beauties  of  their  imaginary 
systems  before  the  eyes  of  all  people,  without  being 


THE  REFORM  MOVEMENT.  373 

detected.  To  secure  more  efficiency  by  a  concentra- 
tion of  influence,  the  friends  of  the  cause  in  Balti- 
more formed  what  they  called  a  "Union  Society" 
and  invited  the  friends  of  reform  to  do  the  same 
throughout  the  country — to  which  call  many  re- 
sponded. 

To  harmonize  the  contending  elements,  the  male 
members  of  Baltimore  were  called  together  in  1824, 
and  united  in  a  compromise  memorial  to  the  General 
Conference,  then  about  to  meet,  asking  for  certain 
modifications  of  the  government.  This,  however, 
did  not  please  the  more  zealous  of  the  "reformers," 
and  they  united  themselves  in  a  separate  society, 
and  demanded  lay  representation  in  the  General  Con- 
ference as  a  natural  and  social  right.  But  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  did  not  see  cause  to  acquiesce  in  their 
wishes.  That  body  believed  that  there  was  general 
satisfaction  with  the  government  as  it  was,  and  that 
while  the  alterations  proposed  might  please  the  me- 
morialists, they  would  give  offense  to  ten  times  their 
number,  and  cripple  the  operations  of  the  Church, 
which  were   being  attended   with  wonderful  success. 

The  failure  of  these  memorials,  prepared  with  so 
much  labor  and  care,  and  speaking  with  so  much  em- 
phasis and  even  authority,  as  one  of  them  did,  was 
quite  intolerable.  The  conference  was  denounced  in 
the  most  unsparing  manner,  and  the  war  raged  with 
increasing  clamor.  To  give  the  more  certainty  to  their 
movements,  another  paper  was  started  in  Baltimore, 
under  the  fascinating  title  of  Mutual  Rights.  This  at 
once  became  the  vehicle  of  all  the  reasoning  and 
wrath  of  the  party.  Men  who  were  unwilling  to 
take    the    open    field,    would    hide    here    behind    a 


3  74  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

fictitious  name,  and  complain  bitterly.  Indeed,  it  was 
an  abusive  concern,  and  it  became  obvious  enough 
that  no  person  was  fit  to  belong  to  the  Church  who 
would  patronize  it.  The  Baltimore  Conference,  there- 
fore, in  1827,  called  Rev.  D.  B.  Dorsey,  a  member  of 
that  body,  and  yet  one  of  the  "Reformers,"  to  an 
account,  and  left  him  without  an  appointment.  A 
little  after,  eleven  local  preachers  of  Baltimore  City, 
who  were  chief  actors  in  the  drama,  and  twenty-five 
lay  members  of  the  more  belligerent  kind,  were  cited 
to  trial,  and  either  expelled  or  suspended. 

But  these  steps  were  not  taken  till  the  revolu- 
tionists had  been  long  borne  with,  and  earnestly  en- 
treated to  desist  from  their  ruinous  course.  Others 
were  expelled  afterward,  and  some  withdrew;  but 
the  great  mass,  who  sympathized  with  the  move- 
ment at  first,  saw  the  folly  of  carrying  it  to  such 
lengths,  and  preferred  the  Church  without  reform  to 
the  hazards  of  revolution,  which  they  saw  approach- 
ing. So  that,  on  the  whole,  the  loss  to  the  Church 
was  comparatively  small. 

A  similar  operation  was  experienced  in  other 
places,  though  on  a  smaller  scale,  and  it  seemed  that 
the  Church  would  be  destroyed  at  a  stroke.  But 
when  the  crisis  came,  there  was  too  much  relig- 
ion, or  something  else,  to  admit  of  it.  The  more 
considerate  retraced  their  steps.  They  coulcL  not 
sell  their  privileges  and  the  enjoyments  of  Church 
fellowship  for  a  mere  abstraction.  They  had  never 
been  oppressed,  nor  did  they  know  of  a  member  of  the 
Church  who  had  been.  Why,  therefore,  be  alarmed? 
Besides,  they  knew  our  government  had  worked  to 
admiration,  that  it  had  accomplished  all  the  ends  of 


THE  REFORM  MO  VEMENT.  375 

government,  had  been  the  means  of  more  good  than 
any  other  in  the  world;  and  they  knew  not  what  the 
new  system  would  be,  or  what  it  would  effect. 

This  subject  was  forced  upon  the  General  Confer- 
ence of  1828,  by  petitions  of  the  most  radical  char- 
acter, to  which  the  conference  replied  in  a  very  able 
report  presented  by  Dr.  Emory,  but  written  by  Dr. 
Bond,  which  has  never  been  answered,  though  one 
vital  point  contended  for  by  the  petitioners  has  since 
been  conceded,  we  trust,  for  the  good  of  all  con- 
cerned.   (See  Bangs' s  History,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  413-440.) 

The  two  principal  writers  on  the  side  of  the 
"Reformers"  were  Rev.  Nicholas  Snethen  and  Rev. 
Alexander  M'Caine,  both  formerly  influential  travel- 
ing preachers.  To  the  surprise  of  many,  Dr.  Thomas 
E.  Bond,  a  local  preacher  of  Baltimore,  and  after- 
ward editor  of  the  Christian  Advocate  and  Journal, 
took  the  first  in  hand,  and  presented  to  the  public 
one  of  the  clearest  and  most  convincing  defenses  of 
our  government  ever  written.  Meeting  all  the  va- 
rious objections  and  prejudices  in  the  community, 
and  placing  the  subject  in  its  proper  aspect  before 
the  mind,  it  essentially  enfeebled  the  spirit  of  seces- 
sion, and  restrained  many  who  had  not  already  gone 
too  far  to  retrace  their  steps.  Dr.,  afterward  Bishop 
Emory,  reviewed  Mr.  M'Caine's  "History  and  Mys- 
tery of  Methodist  Episcopacy,"  and  produced  "The 
Defense  of  the  Fathers,"  a  work  of  singular  strength 
of  argument. 

THE  METHODIST  PROTESTANT  CHURCH. 

The  new  system  having  been  arranged  and  put  in 
operation,  and  both  sides  of  the  controversy  fully  can- 


376  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

vassed,  the  subject  lost  its  interest,  and  the  agitation 
culminated  in  the  organization  of  the  Methodist  Prot- 
estant Church  in  November,  1830,  going  back  to  first 
principles,  and  recognizing  the  individual  rights  of 
preachers  and  people,  and  proposing  little  personal 
sacrifice  for  the  general  good.  It  is  thoroughly  Wes- 
leyan  in  doctrine,  seeks  to  maintain  the  itinerancy, 
though  not  rigidly,  holds  general  and  annual  confer- 
ences, but  eschews  both  bishops  and  presiding  elders. 
The  denomination  has  not  prospered  as  was  antici- 
pated, having  been  weakened  by  differences,  seces- 
sions, and  various  attempts  at  amalgamation  with 
other  Methodist  bodies.  Like  other  democratic 
Churches,  they  lack  energy  in  government — a  head. 
Responsibility  is  too  diffused  to  be  effective.  They 
have  erred  in  relying  too  much  on  government, 
and  too  little  on  hard,  earnest  work.  Some  thou- 
sands left  our  Church  and  went  with  them  at  the  first, 
seriously  injuring  us  at  many  points,  but  still  they 
did  not  rapidly  multiply;  while  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  increased  more  in  members  in  1829,  1830, 
and  1 83 1,  than  they  have  ever  dared  to  claim,  all 
told.  Their  minutes  for  1874,  show  423  traveling, 
and  250  local  preachers,  with  65,000  lay  members. 
They  publish  a  weekly  paper  at  Baltimore,  called 
The  Methodist  Protestant,  with  some  other  works  to 
meet  their  necessities.  But  it  must  not  be  for- 
gotten that  they  suffered  serious  divisions,  like  other 
Churches,  from  slavery,  many  of  their  Southern 
members  affiliating  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  South.  Others  have  fallen  in  with  us,  espe- 
cially since  we  admitted  lay  delegates  to  the  General 
Conference. 


THE  REFORM  MO  VEMENT.  2>77 

How  much  the  cause  of  God  and  Methodism 
have  gained  or  lost  by  this  movement  we  will  not 
undertake  to  estimate.  It  is  delightful  to  record, 
however,  that  the  old  animosity  between  the  Protest- 
ants and  the  mother  Church  has  largely  subsided. 
The  former  have  probably  found  out  that  all  is  not 
gold  that  glitters,  and  the  latter  has  yielded  a  gov- 
ernmental point  as  we  shall  hereafter  show,  which 
will  not  be  unlikely,  in  time,  to  bring  both  bodies 
into  organic  fellowship. 

NEW  ARRANGEMENTS    IN    CANADA. 

We  have  already  referred  to  a  difficulty  in  relation 
to  Canada,  which  was  amicably  settled  with  the 
Wesleyan  connection  by  a  division  of  territory.  By 
that  arrangement,  Upper  Canada  fell  under  the  juris- 
diction of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  But 
the  preachers  being  chiefly  from  the  United  States, 
the  civil  authorities  were  jealous  of  them,  and  denied 
them  certain  rights  enjoyed  by  natives,  and  by  those 
who  were  from  England,  particularly  in  reference  to 
the  rites  of  matrimony.  The  Canada  Conference, 
therefore,  applied  to  the  General  Conference  to  be 
released  from  their  responsibilities  to  that  body. 
After  careful  deliberation,  the  General  Conference 
of  1828  passed  a  resolution  saying  that,  in  view  of 
the  considerations  set  forth  in  the  memorial  of  the 
Canada  brethren,  "the  compact  existing  between  the 
Canada  Annual  Conference  and  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  in  the  United  States  be,  and  hereby 
is,  dissolved  by  mutual  consent."  Expecting  that 
the  Canada  Conference  would  adopt  their  form  of 
government,  with  such  modifications   as   their  partic- 

32 


378  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

ular  relations  should  render  necessary,  the  conference 
authorized  the  bishops  to  ordain  such  persons  to 
superintend  the  new  organization  as  said  conference 
should  elect.  Besides,  an  effort  was  made  to  grant 
the  Canada  Conference  its  proper  proportion  of  the 
Book  Concern,  which  failed  to  obtain  the  necessary 
votes  in  the  annual  conferences.  It  was  therefore 
agreed  in  1836  to  give  them  a  larger  discount  on  the 
books  than  was  usually  allowed  to  our  preachers, 
and  the  Missionary  Society  was  permitted  to  appro- 
priate the  sum  of  seven  hundred  dollars  annually 
for  the  support  of  the  Indian  Missions  within  their 
bounds. 

These  measures,  and  all  others  relating  to  the 
subject,  were  adopted  with  the  best  of  feelings,  and 
with  the  purest  motives.  The  Canada  Conference, 
however,  maintained  its  independence  but  a  short 
period,  and  then,  instead  of  adopting  the  Episcopal 
form  of  government,  under  which  they  were  trained, 
became  connected  with  the  Wesleyans  of  England, 
which  connection  was  peaceably  maintained  until 
1874,  when  the  Wesleyans  of  the  Eastern  District, 
the  conference  of  the  Western,  and  the  "New  Con- 
nection Methodists"  effected  a  consolidation  of  the 
three  bodies  into  one,  taking  the  name  of  "The 
Methodist  Church  of  Canada,  numbering  1,004  itin- 
erant  ministers,  1,027  local  preachers,  and  102,887 
members,  toward  which  all  minor  Methodist  associa- 
tions in  that  country  seemed  to  be  gravitating.  They 
have  provided  for  six  annual  conferences  and  a  Gen- 
eral Conference,  to  be  composed  of  clerical  and 
lay  delegates,  to  meet  in  September,  1878,  and 
thereafter  once  in  four  years.     They  have  no  bishops 


THE  REFORM  MOVEMENT.  379 

or  presiding  elders,  but  do  their  work  by  presi- 
dents, chairmen  of  districts,  and  committees,  much 
after  the  style  of  the  British  Conference.  They 
publish  the  Christian  Guardian,  at  Toronto,  and 
the  Provincial  Wesleyan,  at  Halifax,  connected  with 
which  they  carry  on  their  other  publishing  business. 
Whether  the  General  Conference  had  constitu- 
tional authority  to  relinquish  its  hold  upon  an  annual 
conference  as  in  the  case  described,  or  to  exclude  an 
annual  conference  from  its  fellowship,  as  was  at  one 
time  contemplated,  are  questions  which  admit  of 
reasonable  doubt,  but  in  the  present  case  no  serious 
complaint  has  been  made.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that 
there  will  be  no  further  occasion  for  its  considera- 
tion.     (See  Bangs's  History,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  392-395.) 

EVENTS  FOLLOWING  THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  1 828. 

Leaving  the  General  Conference  of  1828  under  a 
cloud  of  threatening  circumstance,  we  pass  along  to 
notice  the  current  events  of  the  following  four  years. 
The  Church  embraced  nineteen  annual  conferences, 
five  bishops,  including  Bishop  M'Kendree,  who  was 
very  feeble  and  could  do  but  little,  1,642  traveling 
preachers,  and  421,156  members.  The  Missionary 
Society  was  disbursing  about  $6,000  per  annum,  and 
the  unfortunate  educational  interests  of  the  Church 
were  looking  more  hopeful,  there  being  six  or  seven 
promising  institutions  in  successful  operation,  twO  of 
which  held  college  charters.  The  Book  Concern  was 
deeply  in  debt,  owing  to  the  ruinous  practice  of 
sending  its  books  to  preachers  all  over  the  country 
to  sell  on  commission.  So  many  depositories  re- 
quired more  capital  than  the  concern  possessed,  and 


380  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

would  have  bankrupted  it  had  the  policy  been  long 
continued.  It,  therefore,  could  not  cope  with  the 
American  Bible,  Sunday-school,  and  Tract  Societies, 
which  had  undertaken  to  monopolize  the  patronage 
of  all  denominations.  This  state  of  affairs  led  the 
General  Conference  of  1828  to  provide  for  the  estab- 
lishment of 

A    PUBLISHING    FUND. 

Its  design  was  to  enable  the  Book  Concern  to 
furnish  books  and  tracts  at  about  the  same  rates  they 
were  offered  by  the  American  Societies.  One  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  was  the  sum  sought,  the  interest 
of  which  was  to  be  applied  in  the  manner  named;  but 
it  never  amounted  to  more  than  about  forty  thousand, 
but  this  helped  a  little ;  and  with  the  abolition  of 
the  commission  business  referred  to,  and  the  transfer 
of  our  patronage  to  the  American  Bible  Society,  both 
of  which  occurred  soon  after,  brought  essential  relief. 
And,  had  not  the  concern  been  loaded  with  so  many 
outside  Church  expenses,  it  might  long  since  have 
sold  its  books  at  a  cheaper  rate  than  any  house  in  the 
country,  as  it  did  for  ope  period,  without  a  dollar 
from  benvolent  collections. 

DEATH    OF    BISHOP    GEORGE. 

Bishop  George  was  born  in  Staunton,  Virginia,  and 
brought  up  among  Episcopalians.  He  was  converted 
when  eighteen  years  of  age  under  the  Methodist 
ministry,  of  which  he  afterward  said,  "Then  I  felt 
grace  in  my  heart,  God  in  man,  heaven  upon  earth. 
I  was  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  all 
around  me,  each  shrub,  each  flower,  each  leaf,  spoke 


THE  REFORM  MO  VEMENT.  3  8 1 

the  praises  of  rjie  Father  who  made  them  all."  He 
began  immediately  to  exercise  in  prayer  and  exhor- 
tation, and  not  long  after  to  preach  under  the  most 
solemn  conviction  that  God  had  called  him  to  the  work. 
In  1790  he  was  received  into  the  traveling  connection 
on  trial,  and  graduated  to  full  membership  in  regular 
order,  and  was  soon  after  appointed  presiding  elder. 
His  health  failing  him  he  was  located  for  a  short 
time.  In  1803,  he  re-entered  the  itinerancy,  and 
served  as  presiding  elder  most  of  the  time,  till  18 16, 
when  he  was  elected  bishop.  He  was  a  man  of  fer- 
vent piety,  a  powerful  preacher,  full  of  faith  and  love, 
and  died  shouting  " Glory  to  God."  He  was  not  so 
much  of  a  president  as  preacher,  and  could  run  a 
camp-meeting  better  than  a  conference.  But  his 
fervor,  and  soul-power  atoned  for  all  deficiencies  in 
minor  respects,  and  carried  him  safely  through. 
(See  Methodist  Magazine  for  1830.) 

NEW  SOURCES  OF  CONTROVERSY. 

The  revival  of  our  publishing  interests,  manifested 
by  the  re-issue  of  the  magazine  in  18 18,  the  publica- 
tion of  the  Christian  Advocate  in  1826,  and  several 
doctrinal  and  exegetical  books,  vindicatory  of  Ar- 
minian  sentiments,  created  great  alarm  among  Cal- 
vinists  of  different  sects,  who  made  an  almost 
simultaneous  assault  upon  us.  Our  Sabbath-school 
Union,  formed  in  1827,  gave  much  offense,  as  it  con- 
templated the  supply  of  our  schools  with  books  more 
in  harmony  with  our  doctrines  and  methods,  thus 
withdrawing  our  patronage  from  the  American  Sun- 
day-school Union.  It  was  pronounced  sectarian,  and 
antagonistic  to  union^  and  it  was  so  to  any  union  that 


382  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

was  offered  to  our  Church  by  that  society.  Though 
Methodism  was  slightly  recognized  in  its  board  of 
management,  it  was  carefully  kept  in  the  background, 
and  had  no  appreciable  influence  over  its  operations. 
Our  opponents  in  this  matter  did  not  mistake  the 
bearing  of  our  separation  from  them.  The  next  best 
thing  to  indoctrinating  our  children  in  their  views 
was  to  furnish  them  books  which  ignored  Methodism. 
The  object  of  our  Union  was  to  teach  religion  doc- 
trinally  and  experimentally,  as  we  understood  it;  and, 
demanding  the  necessary  books  for  gratuitous  distri- 
bution, it  encouraged  the  agents  of  the  Book  Con- 
cern to  go  forward  and  produce  them,  which  they 
have  been  doing  ever  since,  furnishing  an  outfit  for 
Sunday-schools  which  is  not  excelled  by  any  house 
in  the  country. 

Few,  if  any,  of  our  own  Church  have  a  just  ap- 
preciation of  the  completeness  of  the  supplies  for 
Sunday-schools  furnished  by  our  agents.  It  embraces 
more  than  fifteen  hundred  bound  books,  made  ex- 
pressly for  libraries,  besides  catechisms,  question- 
books,  maps,  cards,  etc. 

Another  circumstance  which  operated  to  augment 
the  prejudice  against  us  was,  the  organization  of  the 
Bible  Society  of  the  Methodist  Church  on  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  General  Conference  of  1828.  But, 
why  was  this  done  ?  Simply  because  we  could  not 
obtain  free  Bibles  and  Testaments  for  our  poor 
schools,  which  were  excluded  under  pretense  of  being 
sectarian.  But  when  the  Book  Concern  came  to 
issue  Bibles  to  supply  our  wants,  it  was  found  prac- 
ticable to  give  us  an  even  chance  in  the  American 
Bible  Society;  whereupon,  in  1836,  our  Bible  Society 


THE  REFORM  MOVEMENT.  383 

was  dissolved,  and  we  again  affiliated  with  the  Amer- 
ican Bible  Society,  and  have  done  so  ever  since, 
only  printing-  Bibles  and  Testaments  with  notes, 
references,  etc.,  such  as  the  Bible  Society  could  not 
issue  without  giving  offense  to  some  of  its  patrons. 
Some  of  our  books  were  assailed,  as  well  as  our 
measures.  ' '  Clarke's  Commentaries, "  and  ' '  Wesley's 
Notes,"  came  in  for  a  large  share  of  attention,  and 
were  severely  charged.  This  gave  Calvinism  and 
Methodism  another  opportunity  to  compare  notes, 
and  did  good,  as  it  corrected  many  misrepresentations 
which  prejudice  had  conceived  and  put  in  circulation. 
Some  were  sure  that  we  were  in  league  with  foreign 
emissaries,  and  had  immense  funds  somewhere  which 
would  avail  us  in  case  we  failed  to  support  ourselves. 
This  explained  to  them  our  tenacity  in  holding  on  to 
places  we  entered,  without  any  visible  means  of  sup- 
port. The  same  anxious  critics  were  considerably 
exercised  about  our  Church  property,  and  claimed 
that  it  was  owned  by  the  General  Conference  and  the 
bishops.  This  led  to  the  development  of  our  excel- 
lent method  of  protecting  it  against  the  monopoly 
of  factions,  who  might  be  disposed  to  pervert  it  to 
other  purposes  than  were  contemplated  by  the  donors. 
The  loss  of  one  college  and  some  one  hundred  and 
fifty  churches  by  a  single  denomination,  suggested  to 
our  enemies  that,  perhaps,  after  all,  we  were  not  as 
grasping  or  foolish  as  they  had  imagined,  and  they 
made  haste  to  imitate  our  good  example. 

The  Methodist  government,  and  other  peculiari- 
ties, were  also  discussed  with  much  of  interest,  but 
were  so  vindicated  that  they  shone  the  brighter  for 
the  cloud   that  was  cast   upon  them.      Our  assumed 


384  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

ignorance  was  a  staple  count  in  every  bill  of  indebt- 
ment ;  we  had  not  been  to  college,  and  therefore 
could  not  preach,  and  had  no  right  to  attempt  it ; 
but  the  people  did  not  ''see  it,"  so  we  kept  along. 
Besides,  in  testing  the  preachers  of  that  day,  the 
learned  objectors  found  them  better  posted  in  the- 
ology, and  stronger  in  argument,  than  they  imagined. 
Even  in  the  languages  they  were  not  always  sure 
of  victory,  for,  though  few  of  the  preachers  had 
been  through  college,  many  of  them  could  speak 
in  other  tongues,  as  we  have  noticed  in  the  case  of 
Jesse  Lee. 

PROGRESS  IN  SEVERAL  PARTICULARS. 

The  year  1829  was  a  successful  year  among  the 
Indians;  many  were  soundly  converted.  It  is  inter- 
esting to  trace  the  labors  of  the  fathers  in  behalf  of 
this  unfortunate  people.  Had  they  been  allowed  to 
live  where  they  were,  they  would  undoubtedly  have 
been  Christianized,  and  constituted  citizens.  But, 
being  broken  up  and  scattered  every  few  years,  how 
could  they  improve  as  has  been  required?  The  In- 
dians in  Georgia  were  in  the  way  of  slavery;  and  in 
the  West,  in  the  way  of  the  emigrants.  Their  lands 
were  wanted  by  the  whites,  and  the  project  of  trans- 
ferring their  owners  beyond  the  Mississippi  was 
devised.  This  was  the  commencement  of  persecu- 
tions, wars,  and  desolation.  Our  Church  had  no  less 
than  17  missionaries  and  850  Church  members  among 
the  Cherokees  in  Georgia.  It  had  also  four  thousand 
members  among  the  Choctaws,  embracing  the  chief 
men  of  the  nation,  and  large  numbers  in  other  tribes; 
but   the  work  was  greatly  disturbed  by  these  forced 


THE  R  EFORM  MO  VEMENT.  385 

removals.  The  Minutes  of  1832  show  a  decrease  in 
our  Indian  membership  of  2,089,  owing  to  this 
cause. 

The  mission  to  Galena,  Illinois,  was  opened  this 
year  also,  in  a  small,  loose,  speculating  population. 
What  wonderful  improvements  have  been  made  in 
forty-six  years!  At  the  same  time,  1829,  Edward 
T.  Taylor,  of  world-wide  fame,  opened  his  mission  to 
the  seamen  of  Boston.  It  was  a  grand  success  for 
God  and  humanity,  not  so  much  in  the  accumulation 
of  members  as  in  the  diffusion  of  Christian  sentiment 
and  feeling.  New  York  had  commenced  operations 
in  behalf  of  seamen  a  little  before. 

The  year  following  inaugurated  special  missions 
to  the  slaves.  Till  now  they  had  been  served  by 
the  regular  circuit  preachers,  and  nearly  one-sixth  oi 
our  Church  (62,814)  were  colored  people,  mostly 
slaves;  but  there  were  many  who  could  not  be 
reached  by  this  means,  and  missions  were  estab- 
lished in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  which  were 
afterward  greatly  extended.  These,  with  missions 
to  the  Western-bound  emigrants,  gave  work  to  every 
willing  minister,  and  exhausted  every  dollar  that 
could  be  raised.  The  net  increase  of  members  in 
1830  was  28,410,  notwithstanding  the  loss  of  nearly 
ten  thousand  by  the  separation  of  Canada,  and  the 
radical  and  destructive  measures  of  the  Reformers 
so-called. 

Our  educational  interests  prospered  also,  for  a 
wonder,  giving  us  three  additional  collegiate  institu- 
tions about  this  time,  namely:  Wesleyan  University, 
Middletown,  Connecticut;  Randolph  Macon  College, 
Virginia;  and  Lagrange  College,  Alabama. 

33 


386  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

OF    THE    GENERAL    CONFERENCE    OF    1 832. 

This  body  elected  two  bishops,  to-wit:  Revs. 
James  O.  Andrew  and  John  Emory.  It  adopted  a 
strong  report  on  temperance,  quite  ahead  of  the 
times,  written  by  Rev.  Henry  B.  Bascom.  It  also 
completed  a  modification  of  the  proviso  connected 
with  the  "Restrictive  Rules"  making  a  change  of 
them  practicable.  (Bangs's  History,  Vol.  IV,  pp. 
102-106.)  In  other  respects  its  action  is  of  little 
interest  to  the  general  reader. 

EVENTS    THAT    FOLLOWED. 

This  conference  closed  with  six  bishops  and 
twenty-two  annual  conferences.  Rev.  Melville  B. 
Cox  having  offered  himself  as  a  missionary  to 
Africa,  he  was  accepted,  and  arrived  in  Liberia, 
March  9,  1833,  and  soon  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
Liberia  Conference,  which  has  continued  to  the  pres- 
ent time.  On  the  21st  of  July  following,  he  died 
in  the  Lord,  aged  thirty-three  years,  feeling  what 
he  earnestly  expressed  before  he  left  New  York, 
namely,  "Let  thousands  fall  before  Africa  be  given 
up!"  A  marble  monument,  the  gift  of  affection, 
marks  his  resting-place  in  that  far-off  land. 

Such  was  the  success  of  our  missions  among  the 
slaves  that  others  were  established  in  the  South-west 
in  1833,  and  gave  a  new  impulse  to  the  collections. 
Two  other  colleges — namely,  at  Carlisle  and  Mead- 
ville  —  were  added  to  our  literary  institutions  the 
same  year.  Both,  having  failed  in  other  hands, 
were  passed  over  to  us  gratuitously,  and  both  still 
live  and  flourish.     The  former,  known  as  Dickinson 


THE  REFORM  MOVEMENT.  387 

College,  was  founded  by  the  Presbyterians  in  1783, 
and  was  estimated  worth  $40,000  at  the  time  of 
its  transfer.  Dr.  J.  P.  Durbin  was  elected  its  first 
president.  It  was  further  endowed  by  an  addition 
of  $45,000,  and  opened,  in  1834,  under  flattering  cir- 
cumstances. The  latter,  known  as  Alleghany  College, 
also  in  Pennsylvania,  three  hundred  and  thirty-four 
miles  north-west  of  Philadelphia,  was  first  chartered 
in  1 8 1 5 ,  but,  failing  of  its  object,  was  passed  over 
to  the  Pittsburg  and  Erie  Conferences,  and  placed 
under  the  presidency  of  Dr.  Martin  Ruter.  It  has 
had  a  struggle,  in  common  with  similar  institutions, 
but  it  has  triumphed.  The  academy  at  Lima,  New 
York,  entered  upon  its  career  of  usefulness  also 
about  the  same  time,  under  the  principalship  of  Dr. 
Samuel  Luckey. 

These  accessions  to  our  educational  appliances 
were  regarded  as  grand  achievements,  and  they  were 
so;  but  we  are  compelled  to  admit  that  the  power 
of  the  ministry  did  not  increase  with  its  literary 
advantages.  Dr.  Bangs,  speaking  of  one  highly 
educated  preacher,  Rev.  John  M.  Smith,  who  was 
in  his  opinion  almost  a  perfect  model,  says:  "Many 
who  were  far  inferior  to  him  in  learning  and  science, 
who  understood  no  other  language  than  their  mother- 
tongue,  and  who  went  out  into  the  field  of  itiner- 
ancy from  the  common  vocations  of  life,  far  out- 
shone him  as  preachers  of  the  Gospel,  and  much 
exceeded  him  in  winning  souls  to  Christ." 

This  is  not  an  isolated  case.  Similar  facts  are 
found  every-where,  and  they  have  not  contributed  to 
the  zeal  of  the  Church  for  education.  God  means 
to   keep   us   impressed,    perhaps,   that   education   can 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

not  make  a  successful  preacher,  that  one  called  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  may  achieve  wonders  without  educa- 
tion, and  that  both  classes  are  needed  to  make  a 
complete  working  force.  It  is  difficult  to  educate  a 
man  so  as  not  to  neutralize  his  natural  and  spiritual 
genius  and  force.  If  we  will  avoid  the  mistakes 
of  our  predecessors,  we  must  give  education  to 
our  ministers  without  subtracting  from  their  spiritual 
efficiency. 

This  year  was  one  of  general  revival,  yielding  a 
total  increase  of  51,143  members,  4,476  of  whom 
were  colored,-  proving  that  our  missions  to  the  slaves 
were  a  success;  but  we  suffered  a  further  loss  of  165 
Indians,  growing  out  of  their  forcible  removal  from 
their  homes. 

Near  the  close  of  this  year,  Rev.  Messrs.  Rufus 
Spaulding  and  Samuel  O.  Wright,  with  their  wives, 
embarked  for  Liberia,  to  fill  the  place  made  vacant 
by  the  death  of  Mr.  Cox.  They  arrived  there  Janu- 
ary 1,  1834,  and  commenced  their  work.  February 
9th,  Mr.  Spaulding  was  seized  with  the  fever  of  the 
country,  as  were  all  his  associates  soon  after.  March 
1st,  he  wrote,  "Sister  Wright  is  dead."  Her  hus- 
band soon  followed  her.  Finding  themselves  hope- 
lessly enfeebled,  Mr.  Spaulding  and  his  wife  returned 
home,  leaving  behind  them  the  heroic  Miss  Farrincr- 
ton,  one  of  the  family,  who  suffered  much,  but  lived 
to  do  good  service. 

THE  FLAT-HEAD   INDIAN    MISSION. 

The  year  1834  was  distinguished  by  the  establish- 
ment of  a  mission  to  the  Flat-head  Indians,  in  Or- 
egon.    They  had    incidentally   heard  that   there  was 


THE  REFORM  MOVEMENT.  389 

a  people  living  toward  the  "rising  sun,"  who  pos- 
sessed superior  knowledge  of  the  Great  Spirit,  by 
means  of  a  book  which  he  had  given  them.  They 
accordingly  called  a  council,  and  appointed  a  delega- 
tion of  four  of  their  leading  men  to  cross  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  inquire  into  the  matter.  These  rep- 
resentatives arrived  at  St.  Louis,  and  commanded 
much  attention.  Our  Church  was  prompt  to  regard 
this  movement  as  a  call  from  God  to  undertake  the 
evangelization  of  the  people  who  had  come  three 
thousand  miles  for  light.  Revs.  Jason  and  Daniel 
Lee,  uncle  and  nephew,  and  both  preachers,  with 
Cyrus  Shepherd,  as  teacher,  offered  themselves  for 
the  work,  and,  after  much  suffering,  reached  their 
destined  field.  They  were  afterward  re-enforced  from 
time  to  time,  and  the  work  has  gone  on  ever  since, 
opening  up  the  country,  and  laying  the  foundations 
of  a  wealthy  State.  The  poor  Indians  were  greatly 
benefited,  but  not  to  the  extent  anticipated,  owing  to 
their  migratory  habits.  The  work  has  been  organ- 
ized into  an  annual  conference  for  several  years, 
which  now  numbers  61  traveling  preachers,  3,725 
members,  and  4,471  Sabbath-school  scholars.  The 
conference  publishes  the  Pacific  Christian  Advocate, 
sustains  the  Willamette  University  and  the  Portland 
Academy. 

This  mission  created  much  interest  at  the  time, 
and  elicited  liberal  contribution  to  the  missionary  so- 
ciety, swelling  the  aggregate  amount  from  $17,097.05 
in  1833,  to  $35,700.15  the  year  following. 

This  year,  too,  gave  birth  to  another  college  at 
Lebanon,  Illinois,  known  as  the  M'Kendree  College, 
which   has   done   a   good   work,   and   is    in    healthy 


390  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

progress.  It  also  opened  new  missions.  Worcester, 
Massachusetts,  which  had  hitherto  successfully  re- 
sisted all  attempts  to  establish  Methodism  within  its 
hallowed  precincts,  was  this  year  favored  with  a  mis- 
sionary appropriation  of,  perhaps,  $200,  and  the 
venerable  George  Pickering  was  appointed  to  that  most 
thoroughly  Calvinistic  town.  The  next  year  he 
reported  one  hundred  and  nine  members.  Three  years 
after,  the  society  became  self-sustaining,  and  has 
grown  into  five  good  Churches,  numbering  1,252 
members,  to  say  nothing  of  many  other  Churches 
that  have  sprung  up  in  contiguous  places,  through 
its  influence.  The  missionary  collections  from  that 
place  have  been  large  for  many  years,  showing  that 
missionary  money  appropriated  to  domestic  purposes 
is  sometimes  more  than  a  good  investment. 

THE  DEPARTURE  OF  TWO   BISHOPS. 

The  year  1835  was  saddened  by  the  death  of  two 
bishops — Bishop  M'Kendree,  the  senior,  and  Bishop 
Emory,  the  junior,  of  the  board.  The  former  had 
been  feeble  for  years,  doing,  however,  all  he  could 
for  God  and  the  Church.  In  the  days  of  his  strength 
he  traversed  the  continent  on  horseback;  but  now 
for  years  he  had  visited  the  conferences,  and  preached 
within  a  more  limited  circle.  He  was  present  at  the 
General  Conference  of  1832,  and,  as  he  arose  to  leave 
it,  the  day  before  it  adjourned,  "he  halted,"  says 
Dr.  Bangs,  "for  a  moment,  leaning  upon  his  staff, 
and,  with  faltering  lips,  but  with  eyes  swimming  in 
tears,  he  said  :  '  My  brethren  and  children,  love  one 
another.  Let  all  things  be  done  without  strife  or 
vain-glory,  and  strive  to  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit 


THE  REFORM  MO  I  rEMENT.  3  9 1 

in  the  bonds  of  peace.'  He  then  spread  forth  his 
trembling  hands,  and,  lifting  his  eyes  to  the  heavens, 
pronounced  with  faltering  and  affectionate  accents  the 
apostolic  benediction." 

Bishop  M'Kendree  was  a  good  man;  a  wise  coun- 
selor; a  mighty  preacher,  especially  at  times;  a  thor- 
ough Methodist,  and  sincerely  in  earnest  in  saving 
souls.  Appearing  in  the  General  Conference  at  Bal- 
timore in  1808,  he  entered  the  Light  Street  pulpit  in 
the  rough  garb  of  a  frontiersman,  and,  after  working 
up  to  his  subject  in  rather  an  uninteresting  way,  he 
struck  a  current,  and  carried  all  before  him.  "At 
first,  sudden  shrieks,  as  of  persons  in  distress,  were 
heard  in  different  parts  of  the  house ;  then  shouts  of 
praise;  and  in  every  direction  sobs  and  groans,  and 
eyes  overflowing  with  tears,  while  many  were  pros- 
trated upon  the  floor,  or  lay  helpless  on  the  seats. 
When  he  descended  from  the  pulpit,  all 
were  filled  with  admiration  of  his  talents,"  and  many 
exclaimed,  "  This  is  the  man  whom  God  delights  to 
honor!1'  He  was  soon  after  elected  bishop,  receiving 
ninety-five  out  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  votes, 
and,  fortunately,  it  was  not  a  mistake.  He  preached 
his  last  sermon  at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  November 
23,  1834,  and  from  that  hour  he  descended  gradually 
and  peacefully  to  the  grave,  breathing  his  last  March 
5,  ^835,  repeating,  "All  is  well  for  time  or  for 
etenity. " 

Bishop  Emory,  who  also  died  this  year,  was  born 
in  Maryland  in  1788;  obtained  the  witness  of  his 
acceptance  with  God  at  the  age  of  seventeen ;  aban- 
donee the  legal  profession,  for  which  he  had  been 
classically  educated,  and  in  the  year  18 10  he  entered 


392  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

the  traveling  ministry  in  the  Philadelphia  Conference. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  General  Conference  in  1816 
and  thenceforward.  In  1820  he  was  appointed  to 
represent  his  Church  in  the  British  Conference;  four 
years  after,  assistant  book  agent;  and  in  1828  he  was 
made  principal  agent  in  charge  of  that  growing  in- 
terest. He  filled  all  these  positions  with  marked 
ability.  In  1832  he  was  elected  bishop,  in  which 
office  he  displayed  the  same  effectiveness  that  had 
characterized  his  course  from  the  beginning  till 
1835,  when  he  was  found  dying  in  the  highway, 
having  been  thrown  from  his  carriage  in  going  to 
Baltimore. 

Dr.  Stevens's  description  of  him  seems  to  be  so 
just  that  we  heartily  indorse  it.  He  says:  "In  per- 
son he  was  below  the  ordinary  size ;  slight,  not  weigh- 
ing over  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds,  but 
well  proportioned  and  erect.  His  features  were  ex- 
pressive of  tranquil  thoughtfulness,  firmness,  and 
kindliness.  He  was  long  a  sufferer  from  gastric  ail- 
ments, but  was  a  persevering  worker,  a  thorough 
student,  an  early  riser,  and  rigorously  systematic. 
Down  to  his  day  the  Church  had  not  possessed  a 
more  scholarly,  a  better  trained,  intellect.  He  was 
pre-eminent  as  a  debater  in  conferences,  especially  in 
the  General  Conference,  and  his  legal  skill  solved  for 
it  some  of  its  most  difficult  legislative  problems. 
Withal,  he  was  remarkably  versatile,  and  successful 
in  all  that  he  attempted.  His  writings  in  defense  of 
his  denomination,  both  in  its  theology  and  polity, 
were  always  authoritative  and  conclusive.  His  piety 
was  profound,  steady,  yet  fervent.  He  saw  h  his 
own  Church  the  mightiest  system  of  agencies  for  the 


THE  REFORM  MOVEMENT.  393 

evangelization,  not  only  of  the  New  World,  but  of  the 
whole  world,  that  Christendom  afforded,  and  he  con- 
secrated himself  entirely  to  the  development  and 
application  of  its  forces."  (His.  of  M.  E.  Church, 
Vol.  IV,  p.  250.) 


394  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF   1 836 IMPORTANT  ACTION 

OF    SLAVERY    AND    ABOLITION NEW    MISSIONARY    FIELDS 

OPENED CENTENARY   OF    METHODISM THE  ALL-ABSORB- 
ING   QUESTION IMPORTANT    MEASURES    ADOPTED,    ETC. 

THE  General  Conference  of  1836  was  held  at 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  Bishops  Roberts,  Soule,  Hed- 
ding,  and  Andrew  presiding.  Rev.  William  Lord, 
representative  from  the  British  Conference,  was  intro- 
duced and  cordially  received.  The  conference  made 
a  suitable  response  to  his  address,  and  appointed 
Rev.  Dr.  Fisk,  then  in  Europe,  our  representative 
to  the  Wesleyan  Conference.  Commemorative  serv- 
ices were  held  in  honor  of  the  deceased  Bishops 
M'Kendree  and  Emory,  Bishop  Soule  preaching  in 
relation  to  the  former  and  Bishop  Roberts  represent- 
ing the  latter.  These  were  mournful  occasions,  all 
feeling  that  a  great  loss  had  been  sustained. 

IMPORTANT  MEASURES  ADOPTED. 

The  correspondence  of  the  Missionary  Society  had 
been  hitherto  conducted  by  one  of  the  book  agents. 
This  conference  wisely  determined  to  transfer  the  su- 
pervision of  the  missionary  work  to  a  separate  officer, 
and  accordingly  appointed  Dr.  Nathan  Bangs  corre- 
sponding secretary.  This  was  the  commencement  of 
our  present  order  of  missionary  management. 


ANTISLA  VER  Y  A  GIT  A  TIOX. 


395 


Another  important  measure  Avas  the  construction 
of  the  Liberia  mission  into  an  annual  conference, 
"  possessing  all  the  rights,  powers,  and  privileges  of 
other  annual  conferences,  except  that  of  sending  del- 
egates to  the  General  Conference  and  drawing  its 
annual  dividend  from  the  avails  of  the  book  concern 
and  Chartered  Fund.  This  exception  was  overruled 
(whether  rightfully  or  not  time  will  show)  by  the 
General  Conference  of  1868,  and  delegates  were 
admitted.  This  conference,  too,  though  oppressed 
with  the  recent  destruction  of  the  book  concern 
by  fire,  recognized  a  weekly  paper,  the  Western 
Christian  Advocate,  lately  started  at  Cincinnati,  and 
ordered  the  publication  of  two  other  similar  papers, 
one  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  and  the  other  at 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  making  four  official  papers  and 
four  unofficial,  namely:  Ziori s  Herald,  Maine  Wes- 
leyan  Journal,  Virginia  Conference  Journal,  at  Rich- 
mond, Virginia,  and  the  Auburn  Banner,  at  Auburn, 
New  York.  Besides,  it  elected  three  bishops,  to-wit: 
Beverly  Waugh,  Wilbur  Fisk,  and  Thomas  A.  Mor- 
ris. The  first  and  the  last-named  wrere  duly  conse- 
crated ;  but  Dr.  Fisk  declined  the  office  on  his  return 
from  Europe,  and  was  called  to  his  reward  before  the 
next  General  Conference.  He  was  a  model  man  and 
minister,  well  educated,  genial,  but  intensely  devout, 
a  natural,  ready  speaker,  an  effective  reasoner,  and  a 
powerful  preacher  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word. 
Being  one  of  the  first  regular  graduates  in  our  min- 
istry, he  exercised  a  commanding  influence.  Doing 
good  service  a  few  years  as  pastor,  he  was  made 
presiding  elder,  from  which  he  was  elected  the  first 
principal  of  the  Wilbraham  Academy.     To  this  work 


396  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

he  devoted  all  his'  energies  until  1831,  when  he  was 
elected  the  first  president  of  the  Wesleyan  Univer- 
sity, at  Middletown,  Connecticut,  where  he  ended  his 
labors  and  his  life  in  the  forty-eighth  year  of  his  age. 
Dr.  Stevens  justly  characterizes  him  as  "a  man 
of  intrinsic  greatness,  of  the  highest  style  of  Chris- 
tian character,  of  rare  pulpit  eloquence,  full  of  grace, 
dignity,  and  power.  .  .  .  He  led  up  the  whole 
Methodism  of  the  East  in  educational  enterprise, 
ministerial  culture,  and  public  influence,  while  his 
saintly  life  presented  a  model  Christian  character 
which  impressed  his  entire  denomination." 

OF   THE    LOCATION    OF    PREACHERS. 

The  difficulty  of  the  itinerant  work,  and  the  small 
and  uncertain  remuneration  it  generally  received,  had 
led  to  numerous  locations;  but  now,  it  seems,  some 
were  desired  to  locate  for  one  reason  or  another  who 
were  indisposed  to  do  so,  and  the  authority  of  the 
conference  to  locate  them  without  their  consent  was 
questioned.  This  General  Conference  therefore  made 
a  rule  authorizing  an  annual  conference  to  locate  a 
member  without  his  consent,  and  even  in  his  absence, 
but  provided  for  giving  him  a  hearing  in  every  case; 
but  the  provision  for  a  hearing  was  rescinded  in  1848, 
without  attracting  much  attention.  The  rule  was  evi- 
dently aimed  at  certain  ministers  who  were  giving 
more  attention  to  abolition  than  was  thought  expe- 
dient, but  who  could  not  be  excluded  on  moral 
grounds. 

OF    SLAVERY    AND    ABOLITION. 

The  great  questions  of  this  session,  however,  were 
slavery  and  abolition.      New  England  had  begun  to 


AN TISL AVERY  AGITATION.  397 

consider  the  extirpation  of  slavery  in  a  very  serious 
manner,  and  there  was  much  alarm  among  many  lest 
it  should  lead  to  sad  results.  The  South  was  in- 
tensely excited,  and  had  been  threatening  separation 
for  several  years.  But,  as  this  subject  is  to  have 
special  consideration  in  another  chapter,  we  will  pass 
it  for  the  present,  except  so  far  as  to  say  that  the 
rule  made  at  this  conference  and  strengthened  in 
1840  (see  Bangs's  History,  Vol.  IV,  p.  414),  for  the 
arrest  of  superannuated  preachers  living  without  the 
bounds  of  their  own  conferences,  was  made  to  catch 
certain  abolitionists,  particularly  Rev.  La  Roy  Sunder- 
land, who  belonged  to  the  New  England  Conference 
and  lived  in  the  city  of  New  York;  but  it  was  a  little 
too  late  to  reach  him.  (See  Discipline,  par.  322.) 
But  it  has  done  no  harm  that  we  are  aware  of,  and 
may  not  do  any  except  under  strong  party  adminis- 
tration. And  we  may  add  that  this  conference  also 
passed  a  string  of  resolutions  in  relation  to  agencies, 
with  particular  reference  to  the  same  class  of  men. 
(See  Bangs's  History,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  265,  266.)  Dr. 
Bangs,  who  understood  their  history  and  objects  bet- 
ter than  any  other  man,  seems  to  have  thought  that 
they  did  much  good,  and  perhaps  they  did ;  but  abo- 
lition rolled  on,   notwithstanding,   until   it   prevailed. 

A    REMARKABLE    DECLINE. 

The  Church  had  enjoyed  great  peace  and  pros- 
perity for  several  years;  but  all  at  once  there  was  a 
falling  off — an  actual  decrease  in  members  —  which 
taxed  the  philosophy  of  wise  men  to  explain.  Some 
attributed  it  to  the  abolition  excitement,  others  to 
the    want    of    church   accommodations,    while    many 


398  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

thought  it  the  natural  result  of  previous  excesses; 
but  about  one-third  of  the  loss  was  among  the 
Indians,  who  were  in  the  process  of  removal,  and 
one-quarter  among  the  colored  people,  who  were 
probably  being  more  restricted  in  their  privileges  by 
the  antislavery  agitations,  which  rapidly  increased 
about  that  time.  But,  whatever  the  cause,  the  de- 
pression was  soon  over,  and  the  tide  of  prosperity 
in  the  Church  commenced  to  flow  again  with  unex- 
ampled results. 

The  year  of  1836  gave  existence  to  our  mission 
at  Rio  de  Janeiro,  by  Rev.  Justin  Spaulding.  The 
next  year,  the  mission  was  strengthened  by  the 
appointment  of  Rev.  D.  P.  Kidder  and  two  teach- 
ers. The  same  year,  Rev.  John  Dempster  opened  a 
mission  at  Buenos  Ayres.  These  missions  have  not 
accomplished  all  that  was  anticipated. 

Texas  embraced  193,000  square  miles,  and  formed 
a  part  of  the  Mexican  Republic,  but  was  proclaimed 
independent  March  2,  1836,  and  its  independence  was 
recognized  by  the  United  States  early  in  the  follow- 
ing year.  Many  Americans,  generally  slave-holders, 
had  settled  there,  and  some  were  anxious  for  the  Gos- 
pel. Accordingly  in  1837,  ^r-  Ruter,  with  two  young 
preachers,  was  sent  out,  and  made  a  successful  begin- 
ning in  the  work  of  evangelizing  that  Romish  com- 
munity. Others  followed,  as  the  necessities  of  the 
work  required,  and  in  1840  the  mission  was  consti- 
tuted an  annual  conference.  The  following  year  it 
reported  nineteen  traveling  preachers,  and  1,853 
members.  In  1845,  Texas  was  admitted  to  the 
Union  as  a  State,  another  triumph  of  the  slave 
power,    embracing     forty     traveling    preachers,     and 


ANT  IS  LA  VER  Y  A  GIT  A  TIOJV. 


399 


4,970  members.  (See  Wilson's  Rise  and  Fall  of  the 
Slave  Power,- Vol.  I.,  pp.  590-650.) 

Dr.  Ruter  projected  a  college,  which  the  govern- 
ment appropriated  8,880  acres  of  land.  The  college 
was  duly  established  in  a  new  town  called  Ruterville, 
in  honor  of  its  enterprising  projector,  though  he  did 
not  live  to  see  it  in  operation.  Our  Texas  Confer- 
ence now  numbers  15,014  members. 

Dr.  Ru-ter  commenced  his  intinerant  career  in  New 
England  in  1801,  at  the  age  of  sixteen;  went  as  mis- 
sionary to  Canada  in  1804;  was  eight  years  Book 
agent  at  Cincinnati ;  was  four  years  President  of  Au- 
gusta College;  three  years  President  of  Alleghany  Col- 
eg2,  which  position  he  resigned  for  a  mission  in  Texas, 
where  he  ended  his  life  and  labors.  Born  in  humble 
circumstances,  without  much  early  education,  he  as- 
tonished both  himself  and  his  friends  by  his  literary 
and  scientific  attainments.  His  acquaintance  with 
Latin,  Greek,  Hebrew,  and  French  was  respectable, 
and  was  turned  to  the  best  account.  He  was  a 
good-looking,  healthy,  common-sense  man,  of  untir- 
ing industry  and  indominitable  perseverance,  and 
achieved  much  for  God  and  the  Church,  more  than 
most  men  of  greater  opportunities.  He  lived  and 
died  in  the  confidence  of  his  brethren,  and  no  doubt 
is  reaping  the  reward  of  a  "faithful  servant." 

ORIGIN    OF    MISSIONS    TO    THE    GERMANS. 

The, influx  of  Germans  to  the  country  could  not 
fail  to  attract  attention,  particularly  as  one  of  the 
number,  a  modest  but  thoroughly  educated  youth, 
was  mysteriously  converted  to  God.  Beginning  at 
once   to   declare    to  his   countrymen   what   the   Lord 


400  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

had  done  for  his  soul,  a  mission  was  established  at 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1836,  and  young  Nast  was  ap- 
pointed to  take  charge  of  it.  Being  an  able  man 
and  full  of  zeal,  he  drew  many  to  hear  him,  and  to 
Christ.  Afterward  he  visited  his  native  land  and 
laid  the  foundations  of  our  missions  in  that  country, 
numbering  at  present  nearly  9,000  members,  embrac- 
ing schools,  a  publishing  house,  and  other  necessary 
appliances.  The  German  missions  have  been  the 
means  of  converting  many  Papists,  and  their  watch- 
word is  onward ! 

The  year  1838  was  one  of  prosperity,  though  we 
suffered  a  decrease  in  our  colored  members  of  2,996 
and  538  Indians,  the  former  loss  growing  out  of  the 
antislavery  discussion  perhaps,  and  the  latter  prob- 
ably the  result  of  the  removals  before  mentioned. 

The  year  1839  was  made  interesting  by  the  return 
of  Jason  Lee  to  the  States  to  obtain  re-enforcements 
for  Oregon.  There  being  no  means  of  living  in  that 
country  the  missionaries  had  to  provide  for  them- 
selves, and  it  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  carry  out 
farmers,  mechanics,  etc.,  to  do  the  work,  that  the 
missionaries  might  give  themselves  wholly  to  relig- 
ious duties.  Accordingly,  a  company  of  fifty  per- 
sons was  made  up,  including  six  missionaries,  and  all 
sailed  from  New  York  October  9th,  and  arrived  in 
safety,  after  a  voyage  of  about  ten  month.  In  the 
mean  time,  a  remarkable  work  of  grace  broke  out 
among  the  Indians  of  that  country,  resulting,  it  was 
believed,  in  the  conversion  of  one  full  thousand  of 
them.  This  was  very  encouraging,  and  gave  a  new 
impulse  to  the  missionary  enterprise,  swelling  the 
collections  from  $96,087  to  $132,480  in  a  single  year. 


ANTISLA  VER  Y  A  GIT  A  TION.  4c  I 

THE    CENTENARY    OF    METHODISM. 

The  principal  event  of  1839  was  tne  Centenary 
of  Methodism.  Though  it  was  but  seventy-three 
years  since  the  first  Methodist  meeting  was  holden 
on  this  continent,  its  centennial  in  London  seemed  to 
be  too  important  an  event  to  the  Church  on  this  side 
of  the  water  to  be  passed  over  in  silence.  But  it 
was  impossible  to  bring  our  people  to  the  same  con- 
cert of  feeling  and  action  that  was  displayed  among 
the  Wesleyans,  scattered  as  they  were  over  so  vast  a 
territory,  and  pressed  with  so  many  different  objects, 
often  requiring  more  than  they  were  able  to  perform. 
But  a  general  plan  of  religious  exercise  and  benevo- 
lence was  adopted,  and  carried  out  with  as  much 
uniformity  as  was  to  be  expected.  The  services 
were  salutary  in  their  influence.  They  contributed 
to  a  better  understanding  of  the  history,  principles, 
unity,  aims,  and  successes  of  Methodists,  and  gave 
a  new  impulse  to  the  general  body.  The  amount 
contributed  for  different  objects  was  estimated  at 
$600,000;  but  it  is  exceedingly  doubtful  whether  so 
much  was  realized  by  the  various  treasuries  for  which 
it  was  contributed.  Much  of  it  was  applied  to  local 
objects,  that  is,  for  Church  debts,  building  churches, 
etc.  Considerable  to  the  superannuated  preachers, 
education,  and  to  missions.  But  it  all  told  on  our 
growing  cause. 

It  was,  indeed,  a  sublime  spectacle  to  contemplate 
the  assemblage  of  more  than  one  million  of  people, 
joined  by,  perhaps,  three  times  that  number  of 
friends,  uniting  to  offer  up  thanksgiving  to  God  for 
his  boundless   mercy  to  a  lost  world,   manifested  in 

34 


402  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

the  gift  of  his  Son  !  And  as  one  of  man)-  rivulets, 
which  flow  from  that  exhaustless  fountain  of  eternal 
love,  ran  through  the  channel  opened  by  Wesley,  it 
seemed  right  and  proper  for  his  numerous  sons  in 
the  Gospel  to  commemorate  the  day  which  originated 
this  flowing  stream  of  grace  and  mercy.  Some,  in- 
deed, affected  to  call  it  a  species  of  idolatry.  But 
why  is  it  any  more  an  act  of  idolatry  to  praise  God 
for  raising  up  John  Wesley,  than  it  is  to  praise  him 
for  any  other  blessing,  whether  temporal  or  spiritual? 
It  is,  indeed,  marvelous  that  many,  whose  tender 
conscience  will  not  permit  them  to  render  honor  to 
whom  honor  is  due,  do  not  scruple  to  defame  the 
character  of  those  men  who,  like  John  Wesley,  have 
rendered  the  most  service  to  mankind,  merely  be- 
cause they  have  dissented  from  them  in  opinion  on 
some  important  points.  (Bangs's  History,  Vol.  IV, 
page  296.) 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  numbered  at 
this  time  749,216  members;  3,557  traveling  preach- 
ers; and  5,856  local  preachers. 

THE    ALL-ABSORBING    QUESTION. 

Every  period  has  its  predominant  topic  of  inter- 
est. That  which  attracted  most  attention  in  the 
Church  and  nation  from  1836  to  1840,  and  indeed 
long  after,  was  slavery.  Some  attempted  to  justify 
it  from  the  Bible,  others  denounced  it  as  "the  sum 
of  all  villainies,"  while  many  regarded  it  as  an  evil, 
and  opposed  abolition,  lest,  in  removing  the  tares, 
it  should  root  up  the  wheat  also.  Abolitionists, 
like  their  colored  brethren,  did  not  seem  to  have 
any  rights   which    their    opponents   were    bound     to 


ANTISLA  VER  Y  A  GIT  A  TION.  403 

respect  The  subject  permeated  every  class  of  so- 
ciety, and  gave  shape  to  almost  every  expression. 
Bishops  and  many  others  trembled  for  the  ark  of 
Methodism,  and  made  haste  to  protect  it  by  radical 
measures,  which  though  ineffective,  created  a  distrust 
of  the  Episcopal  power,  since  developed  in  the  adop- 
tion of  lay  delegation,  and  the  projection  of  other 
modifications  of  our  government  that  will  sooner  or 
later  claim  attention.  But  we  must  not  particularize 
here.  Considering  the  terrible  excitements  which 
generally  prevailed,  the  Church  was  wonderfully  sus- 
tained. As  before  stated,  we  suffered  a  small  loss  in 
1836,  but  our  net  gain  during  the  following  eight 
years  was  822,282  members.  God  seems  to  have 
honored  the  attempt  to  ''unloose  the  heavy  burdens" 
with  a  special  baptism  of  the  Spirit. 

A    PASSING    REFLECTION. 

In  looking  back  to  those  days,  and  remembering 
the  giants  who  ruled  over  the  unpitied  minority,  we 
are  surprised  to  see  that  they  are  nearly  all  gone. 
One  only  of  the  ten  delegates  from  the  New  York 
Conference  remains,  and  the  same  is  true  of  other 
conferences.  They  all  played  their  part  for  a  few 
brief  years,  and  then  stepped  aside  to  give  place  to 
their  successors.  Though  powerful  in  their  way  and 
time,  they  now  live  only  in  history.  As  years  or 
misfortunes  increased,  they  descended  from  their 
proud  eminence,  finding  it  harder  to  retreat  than  to 
advance,  to  lay  off  the  harness  than  to  put  it  on. 
But  this  is  destiny,  and  it  is  well  for  the  young  to 
think  of  it,  and  prepare  themselves  to  deserve  respect 
when  they  can  no  longer  command  it. 


404  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

We  were  impressed  with  these  thoughts  in  consid- 
ering the  history  of  one  beautiful  man,  distinguished 
more  for  his  pulpit  eloquence  and  pastoral  fidelity 
than  for  his  management  or  forensic  power.  He  was 
in  great  demand  in  the  Middle  States  for  many  years. 
Yet  the  time  came  before  he  was  sixty  years  of  age 
that  he  was  not  wanted,  and  it  broke  his  heart.  This 
would  not  have  been  so,  had  his  old  admirers  lived 
and  retained  their  position.  But  dying,  or  standing 
aside  to  give  place  to  new-comers,  their  old  love 
could  not  benefit  him,  and  their  successors  only  knew 
him  as  an  old  preacher,  while  they  coveted  one  more 
youthful  and  sprightly. 

THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  I 84O 

convened  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  and  was  treated  to 
a  very  long  and  elaborate  address  from  the  bishops, 
evidenly  written  byvBishop  Soule,  and  more  than  one 
third  of  it  was  devoted  to  abolitionists,  expressing 
sentiments  which  naturally  led  its  author  to  affiliate 
with  the  South  in  repudiating  the  old  antislavery 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  inuniting  with  that 
of  the  Church  South. 

This  conference  was  honored  with  the  presence  of 
the  celebrated  Rev.  Robert  Newton,  as  the  represen- 
tative of  English  Methodism,  who  was  cordially  re- 
ceived, as  was  the  letter  which  he  bore,  except  so  far 
as  it  referred  to  the  vexed  question.  To  this  point  the 
Conference  made  a  respectful  reply,  attempting  to 
justify  its  position  in  the  usual  way  of  the  times, 
throwing  the  responsibility  on  the  State  governments, 
etc.  The  missionary  society  was  reported  as  being 
in     a     nourishing     condition,     having     appropriated 


ANTISLA  VER  Y  A  GIT  A  TIOiV.  405 

$411,810.96  during  the  four  preceding  years,  and 
more  than  doubled  the  collections  of  1839  in   1840. 

This  conference  was  also  entertained  with  more 
than  the  usual  number  and  variety  of  petitions  and 
memorials,  particularly  on  the  subject  of  the  day.  A 
very  considerable  number  of  them  asked  for  "a  mod- 
erate episcopacy," — implicating  the  episcopal  adminis- 
tration since  1836,  which  we  shall  notice  hereafter  — 
the  election  of  presiding  elders  by  their  conferences, 
who  had  in  many  cases  represented  the  bishops,  and 
not  their  real  constituents,  and  lay  delegation.  These 
petitions  came  generally  from  abolitionists,  but  effect- 
ed nothing,  as  was  probably  expected.  Yet  some  of 
these  same  delegates  who  opposed  the  prayer  of  the 
petitioners,  afterward  struck  for  lay  delegation,  and 
carried  it.  That  their  successors  may  some  time  grant 
the  other  particulars  in  the  prayer  is  by  no  means 
impossible.  Great  men  have  been  known  to  change 
their  opinions,  and  favor  what  they  once  opposed, 
and  they  might  have  been  right  in  both  cases.  With 
regard  to  prudential  matters,  what  may  be  inexpedi- 
ent to-day  may  be  very  appropriate  hereafter. 

We  have  seen  with  what  difficulties  our  Church 
made  its  first  real  success  in  education.  But  our  lit- 
erary institutions  had  now  come  to  multiply  so  rap- 
idly that  the  General  Conference  of  1840  deemed  it 
necessary  to  suggest  caution,  and  advised  the  perma- 
nent settlement  of  existing  ones  before  proceeding  to 
originate  others.  It  fully  indorsed  the  administration 
of  the  bishops,  and  avowed  the  right  of  bishops  and 
presiding  elders  to  refuse  to  put  a  motion  to  vote 
which  they  should  consider  foreign  to  the  proper 
business,  or  inconsistent  with  constitutional  provisions, 


406  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

and  also,  their  right  to  adjourn  a  conference  without 
a  vote."  Temperance,  too,  received  special  attention ; 
but  the  substitution  of  Mr.  Wesley's  rule  in  the  place 
of  the  one  then  in  force  failed,  by  a  ridiculous  miscon- 
struction of  the  proviso,  connected  with  the  restrictive 
rules,  making  a  three-fourths  vote  of  each  and  every 
annual  conference  necessary  to  a  change,  instead  of 
three-fourths  of  the  whole  who  should  be  present 
and  vote.  Ridiculous,  we  say,  because  this  proviso 
was  rearranged,  as  elsewhere  shown,  to  avoid  this 
very  construction,  to  which  it  was  fairly  liable  in  its 
former  wording. 

OF    RECEIVING    PREACHERS,    ETC. 

There  had  long  existed  a  feeling  among  us  that 
some  provision  should  be  made  for  receiving  minis- 
ters and  members  from  other  denominations  without 
subjecting  them  to  the  usual  probation,  etc.,  required 
of  others  ;  but  nothing  had  been  effected.  This  con- 
ference met  the  demand  in  a  wise  and  fraternal  man- 
ner, setting  an  example  to  conceited  sectaries  that 
they  may  profitably  consider.  Under  this  arrange- 
ment we  recognize  the  orders  and  standing  of 
Christian  ministers  and  members  of  every  denomina- 
tion, and  admit  them  to  our  fellowship  without 
re-baptism  or  re-ordination.  Fortunately  the  rule  did 
not  require  a  letter  of  recommendation.  That  would 
often  have  rendered  it  ineffective,  since  many  Churches 
would  give  no  such  letter.  It  merely  provided  for 
receiving  members  "in  good  standing"  in  other 
Churches,  without  stating  what  evidence  of  that  fact 
should  be  required.  Hence,  where  we  knew  such 
applicants    could   not    obtain    letters,    owing    to    the 


ANT  I  SLA  VER  Y  A  GIT  A  TION.  407 

prejudice  of  their  Churches,  we  took  them  without, 
advising  them  first  to  send  their  pastors  letters  of 
withdrawal.  This  was  a  very  convenient  arrange- 
ment, though  we  have  had  no  great  use  for  it, 
believing  it  to  be  more  becoming  to  swell  our  num- 
bers by  converting  sinners  to  God  than  by  pros- 
elyting saints  of  other  denominations.  (See  Disci- 
pline,  par.  49,   209,    213.) 

OTHER    MEASURES    ADOPTED. 

This  conference  resolved  to  have  three  missionary 
secretaries  instead  of  one,  and  elected  Nathan  Bangs 
for  the  East,  William  Capers  for  the  South,  and  Ed- 
ward R.  Ames  for  the  West;  but  this  arrangement 
did  not  seem  to  give  satisfaction,  though  it  consid- 
erably increased  the  collections,  and  was  abolished 
after  four  years'  trial,  and  the  work  was  devolved 
upon  one  secretary,  Rev.  Charles  Pitman,  a  man  of 
great  popularity  with  his  people. 

Bishop  Soule  was  appointed  to  represent  the 
Church  in  the  British  Conference  in  1842,  with 
Rev.  Thomas  B.  Sargent  as  traveling  companion. 
Bishop  Hedding  received  a  similar  appointment  to 
the  Canada  Conference.  The  pastoral  address  was 
fragrant  with  congratulation,  seeing  little  to  regret, 
and  much  to  expect  in  the  way  of  progress.  Bishop 
Soule  closed  the  conference  with  a  few  remarks,  re- 
joicing in  the  excellent  spirit  that  had  been  mani- 
fested, and  the  prospect  of  peace  and  unity,  little 
thinking  that  in  five  brief  years  from  that  day,  he 
himself,  the  most  loyal  among  loyalists,  would  no 
longer  be  a  member  even  of  the  Church  he  had  so 
much  loved. 


408  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

But,  after  all,  the  conference  did  not  satisfy  the 
extremists  of  either  party.  The  middle  men  were 
better  pleased,  because  they  had  passed  another  cri- 
sis without  a  general  " break-up."  They  believed 
the  South  would  stand  it,  and  hoped  the  abolition- 
ists would,  and  devoutly  prayed  that  something 
might  occur  to  prevent  the  threatened  division. 


GREAT  REVIVALS.  409 


CHAPTER  IX. 

GREAT  REVIVALS — CONFERENCE  RIGHTS — GENERAL  CONFER- 
ENCE OF   1844 POWERS  OF  BISHOPS RESTRICTIONS   ON 

THE  ITINERANCY CONFLICT  WITH  PROVIDENCE. 

FROM  the  year  1840  to  the  year  1844,  a  general 
revival  of  religion  prevailed  throughout  the 
country.  This  fact  was  recognized  by  the  bishops 
in  their  address  to  the  General  Conference  in  1844, 
wherein  they  declared  that  "No  period  of  our  de- 
nominational existence  has  been  more  signally  dis- 
tinguished by  great  and  extensive  revivals  of  the 
work  of  God,  and  the  increase  of  the  Church."  The 
work  was  attributed  to  various  causes.  The  real  ex- 
citing cause  was,  doubtless,  the  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  upon  the  public  heart,  directing  atten- 
tion to  the  subject.  While  we  believe  that  the  Spirit 
operates  more  or  less  at  all  times,  and  upon  all  minds, 
and  that  all  good  thoughts,  purposes,  and  emotions 
are  attributable  to  its  influence,  we  can  not  doubt 
that  it  is  occasionally  shed  forth  in  peculiar  copious- 
ness and  power,  arousing  Christians  to  an  unusual 
degree  of  spiritual  interest,  and  begetting  tenderness 
on  the  minds  of  others.  This  seems  to  have  been 
the  case  at  the  time  referred  to ;  one  evidence  of 
which  was,  that  numerous  little  prayer-meetings 
were  instituted,  to  pray  especially  for  a  revival  of  re- 
ligion and  the  conversion  of  sinners.      There  was  a 

35 


4 1 0  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

pretty  general  conviction  among  evangelical  Christians 
that  it  was  time  for  God  to  work,  and  they  were  so 
anxious  to  see  a  revival  they  exerted  themselves 
with  a  degree  of  earnestness,  appropriateness,  and 
energy,  scarcely  ever  witnessed  among  some  of  them 
since  the  days  of  Whitefield. 

While,  therefore,  we  attribute  the  work  to  God, 
as  its  efficient  author,  we  recognize  peculiar  Chris- 
tian exertion  as  its  means.  If  it  originated  in  a 
remarkable  outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  it  was  encour- 
aged and  carried  forward  instrumentally  by  a  remark- 
able effort.  Measures  which  had  been  repudiated  as 
repugnant  to  the  true  philosophy  of  revivals,  were 
now  introduced  and  pushed  with  much  fervor.  The 
laity  were  called  into  action,  foreign  aid  was  invoked, 
evangelists  were  flying  from  field  to  field,  and  the 
work  of  saving  souls  was  made  the  all-absorbing 
subject. 

Another  circumstance  probably  had  considerable 
effect.  We  refer  to  the  emphatic  inculcation  of  the 
doctrine  of  Christ's  second  coming,  and  the  transac- 
tions which  are  to  follow — sentiments  known  as  Mil- 
lerism.  Various  ministers  of  different  denominations 
heralded  tnese  truths  all  over  the  land  with  great 
pathos  and  power.  The  errors  with  which  they  were 
associated  did  not  lessen  their  influence,  but  rather 
rendered  them  more  impressive.  Taken  together, 
the  presentation  was  an  alarming  affair.  Some  of 
the  sermons  delivered  on  different  occasions  were 
frightful  to  "the  very  elect,"  and  it  would  not  have 
been  wonderful  if  many  had  plunged  into  hopeless 
despair,  for  the  argument  was  so  nicely  drawn  that 
few  could  see  its  fallacy ;  the  honesty  and  devotion 


GREA  T  RE  VIVALS.  4 1 1 

of  many  of  the  speakers  so  manifest,  they  could  not 
well  be  questioned;  and  the  sentiments  inculcated  so 
exciting  in  their  tendency,  that  none  but  very  good 
or  very  bad  people  could  hear  them  proclaimed 
without  trembling  for  their  own  safety.  Hence, 
while  few  believed  the  doctrine  that  Christ  would 
come  in  1843,  many  feared  it ;  and  having  full  confi- 
dence in  the  divine  reality  and  importance  of  religion, 
they  were  impelled  to  seek  it  then ;  whereas,  under 
other  circumstances,  they  might  have  remained  im- 
penitent. But  still,  they  were  really  converted. 
Though  it  was  a  mistake  which  stimulated  them  to 
action,  the  process  they  pursued  was  right,  and  the 
result  pure.  The  mistake  had  no  other  influence  in 
this  regard  than  to  prompt  them  to  seek  religion 
tJicn ;  which  done,  the}-  found  peace  in  believing. 
But  it  afterward  became  identified  with  so  many 
other  heresies,  it  poisoned  many  who  came  under  its 
influence,  and  interposed  one  of  the  greatest  obstacles 
to  the"  progress  of  religion  that  has  ever  been  con- 
trived. This  we  believe  to  be  a  just  view  of  the  sub- 
ject in  general.  There  were,  doubtless,  instances  in 
which  religion  and  Millerism  were  so  combined,  that, 
when  the  error  of  the  latter  was  demonstrated,  all 
confidence  in  the  former  was  abandoned. 

Under  all  these  circumstances,  it  is  not  improbable 
that  some  improper  measures  were  employed,  or  that 
others  were  carried  to  extremes,  and  operated  to 
produce  more  chaff  than  wheat.  But,  notwithstand- 
ing, there  was  much  wheat  gathered.  It  is  true 
many  fell  away,  but  not  a  larger  proportion,  we  think, 
than  is  usual.  When  it  is  said  that  the  Methodist 
Episcopal   Church   suffered    a   net   decrease  of  more 


412  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

than  fifty  thousand  members  between  the  years  1 844 
and  1847,  it  should  be  remembered  that  in  1843  ner 
net  increase  was  154,634;  and  the  year  following-, 
102,831,  making  a  net  increase  in  two  years  of  257,465 
members,  thus  exceeding  all  precedent  by  tens  of 
thousands.  The  ordinary  ratio  of  apostasies,  there- 
fore, accounts  for  an  appalling  decrease,  without  dis- 
paraging the  character  of  the  work  in  the  least. 

But  other  items  come  into  this  account  that  are 
important  to  the  calculation.  During  this  time  there 
was  a  vigorous  effort  made  by  come-outers  of  differ- 
ent classes  to  break  down  the  Churches,  and  scatter 
them  to  the  four  winds.  While  the  revival  was  in 
progress,  their  influence  was  partly  counteracted; 
but  as  the  excitement  abated,  they  became  more 
successful.  This,  taken  in  connection  with  the  fact 
that  there  was  scarcely  a  revival  in  the  country,  and 
that  thousands  of  Church  members  die  annually,  goes 
far  to  explain  the  decrease  conceded,  and  leaves 
little  to  charge  to  the  mismanagement  of  the  revival 
under  consideration  ;  and  especially  if  it  be  remem- 
bered that  many  of  the  converts  were  treated  by  cer- 
tain ministers  and  laymen  more  as  dupes  or  hypo- 
crites than  as  the  lambs  of  Christ's  flock. 

But  some,  we  are  aware,  took  other  views  of  the 
subject,  and,  we  fear,  so  far  fell  out  with  God's 
method  of  converting  sinners  that  they  did  but  little 
good.  It  is  certain  they  never,  made  many  genuine 
converts  by  preaching  against  excitement  and  ridicul- 
ing revival  measures.  Some  ran  so  low,  their 
Churches  became  so  sleepy  and  cold,  and  their  con- 
gregations so  thin,  they  were  about  willing  to  let  the 
Lord  work  in  any  way,  and  by  whomsoever  he  would. 


GREA  T  RE  VIVALS.  4 1 3 

While  revivals  were  operating  to  sustain  and 
consolidate  the  Church,  the  questions  of  slavery  and 
abolition  were  agitating  it,  and  threatening  its  very 
existence.  Growing  out  of  this  agitation  was  another 
question  of  little  less  interest  or  danger ;  we  refer  to 
what  was  known  as  the  question 

OF  CONFERENCE  RIGHTS. 

Prior  to  this  time  bishops  had  been  regarded  as 
chairmen  in  annual  conferences,  not  merely  to  attend  to 
the  few  items  of  business  specified  in  the  Discipline, 
but  any  other  business  connected  therewith.  It  had 
been  customary  from  the  beginning  for  annual  con- 
ferences to  give  expression  to  their  sentiments  on  all 
moral  questions  without  episcopal  let  or  hinderance. 
But  in  bringing  forward  resolutions  against  slavery, 
an  evil  denounced  by  the  Church  from  the  beginning, 
the  bishops  refused  to  entertain  them,  on  the  ground 
that  they  were  not  legitimate  ''conference  business." 
Certain  presiding  elders  took  the  same  position  in 
their  quarterly  conferences.  Rev.  Daniel  Dorchester, 
of  the  New  England  Conference,  did  so,  and  even 
adjourned  a  conference  at  Westfield  without  a  vote, 
and  against  the  remonstrances  of  the  members.  The 
next  annual  conference  tried  and  convicted  him  of 
maladministration.  From  this  decision  he  appealed 
to  the  General  Conference  of  1840,  which  reversed 
the  decision,  virtually  justifying  his  course.  It  also 
approved  of  the  administration  of  the  bishops,  for- 
bidding antislavery  action,  thus  leaving  the  annual 
conferences  without  the  right  of  acting  on  any  subject 
whatever  outside  of  the  twenty-three  questions  pro- 
posed  in   the   Discipline.      (See   ^[    105.)     This   was 


4 1 4  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

true,  also,  of  the  quarterly  conferences ;  they  were 
restricted  to  the  business  prescribed  for  them.  And, 
worse  still,  presiding  elders  were  authorized  to  close 
any  session  at  their  discretion  without  a  vote  of  the 
body  ;  and  the  bishop  to  adjourn  an  annual  confer- 
ence after  one  week. 

Abolitionists  contended  earnestly  against  these 
assumptions  of  episcopal  authority,  and  conquered, 
practically,  so  that  they  were  allowed  to  oppose 
slavery  by  conference  action;  and,  in  1872,  the  rule 
authorizing  bishops  and  presiding  elders  to  adjourn 
conferences  was  ordered  to  be  stricken  out  of  the 
book,  though  they  may  still  refuse  to  put  a  motion 
on  any  subject  which,  in  their  opinion,  does  not  relate 
to  the  proper  business  of  the  conference. 

Whether  this  is  the  right  ground  for  the  Church 
to  occupy  is  worthy  of  consideration.  If  bishops 
are  a  higher  order  of  ministers,  appointed  by  God 
himself  to  govern  other  ministers  and  the  people,  as 
claimed  by  Romanists,  then  the  conferences  ought  to 
obey  them  in  all  things.  But  if  they  are  not  higher 
in  order,  and  are  only  officers,  as  our  Church  claims, 
it  seems  hardly  reasonable  to  assume  that  they  are 
wiser  and  safer  and  more  loyal  than  a  conference  of 
two  or  three  hundred  ministers,  over  whom  they  may 
happen  to  preside.  While  we  are  compelled  to  con- 
cede that  our  Church  has  been  very  fortunate  in  the 
selection  of  men  for  this  office,  they  have  never 
proved  themselves  infallible.  Many  of  our  grandest 
achievements  have  been  projected  and  carried  through 
in  opposition  to  their  opinions.  And  it  can  not  be 
otherwise,  so  long  as  they  are  human.  To  give 
them  the  power,  therefore,  to  block  all  proceedings, 


GREA 1 '  RE  VJVALS.  4 1 5 

except  in  the  few  items  named,  seems  to  be  quite 
unreasonable.  Nor  have  we  any  evidence  that  the 
presiding  elders  are  so  much  superior  to  the  bodies 
over  which  they  preside  that  it  is  necessary  to  give 
them  overruling  authority,  as  was  done  in  the  case 
named. 

We  refer  to  these  matters  as  an  important  part  of 
our  history    during    the    period  under  consideration. 
The   assumption    of   episcopal  authority   contributed 
nearly  as  much  toward  the  secession  of  abolitionists 
as  slavery  itself.      In  disgust  with  these  high  claims, 
they  entirely  repudiated  episcopacy,   and  ran  to  the 
extreme   of  democracy.      Methodism  should  occupy 
the  middle  ground,  giving  each  department  its  proper 
functions,  with  ample  authority  to  execute  them,  and 
holding    each  responsible  to  some  supervisory  juris- 
diction.    The  "one-man  government  "  is  a  dangerous 
one,  whether   in  Church  or  State.     The  tendency  of 
power  is  to  multiply.      History  admonishes  us  to  be 
cautious.      "A  nation,"  says  the    immortal  Montes- 
quieu,  "  may  lose  its  liberties  in  a  day,  and  not  miss 
them  in  a  century."      "It  is  against  silent  and  slow 
attacks  that   a  nation    should  be    particularly    on   its 
guard."     Popery  was  once  as  pious  and  harmless  as 
Methodism  is  to-day,  and  had  it  remained  so,   Meth- 
odism  would  never  have  been   needed.      In  running 
after  power  it  apostatized,  and  became  the   ' '  man    of 
sin,"  and  is  a  beacon  of  warning  to  all  other  Churches. 

OF  THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  1 844. 

This  body  convened  in  Greene  Street  Church, 
New  York,  Bishops  Soule,  Hedding,  Andrew, 
Waugh,  and  Morris  being  present.     In  referring  to 


4 1 6  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

Bishop  Roberts,  who  had  lately  deceased,  they  said: 
"In  the  character  of  this  faithful  servant  of  Christ 
and  the  Church,  the  attributes  of  a  primitive 
Christian  bishop  were  developed  in  an  eminent 
degree.  .  .  .  He  traveled  and  preached  the 
Gospel  for  more  than  forty  years ;  and  for  almost 
twenty-seven  years  he  discharged  the  arduous  duties 
of  a  general  superintendent.  .  .  .In  the  amia- 
bleness  of  his  spirit,  the  humility  of  his  mind,  the 
courtesy  of  his  manners,  the  kindness  of  his  words 
and  actions,  and  in  the  spirituality  and  power  of  his 
ministry,  there  is  a  sweet  savor,  which  will  embalm 
him  in  the  memory  of  the  ministers  and  people  of 
his  charge." 

The  death  of  Bishop  Roberts,  and  the  rapid 
extension  of  the  work,  rendered  it  necessary  to  increase 
the  episcopal  force,  whereupon  Revs.  Leonidas  L. 
Hamline  and  Edmund  S.  Janes  were  elected  to  that 
office.  The  former  was  born  in  Burlington,  Connec- 
ticut, May  10,  1797,  where  he  early  joined  the 
Congregational  Church,  supposing  himself  to  be  a 
Christian,  which  he  afterward  found  to  be  a  mistake. 
His  early  leanings  were  toward  the  ministry,  but  he 
changed  his  mind,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at 
Lancaster,  Ohio,  in  1827.  The  following  year  he 
became  particularly  interested  in  the  welfare  of  his 
soul,  and,  by  the  aid  of  some  Methodist  friends,  found 
peace  in  believing,  He  was  soon  after  licensed  to 
preach,  and  joined  the  Ohio  Conference  in  the 
Autumn  of  1832.  In  1835  ne  was  stationed  in  Cin- 
cinnati, where  he  became  assistant  editor  of  the 
Western  Christici7i  Advocate,  in  the  place  of  Rev. 
W.  Phillips,    deceased.      He  was  bishop  eight  years, 


GREA  T  RE  VIVALS.  4 1 7 

in  poor  health  much  of  the  time,  when  he  resigned 
the  office,  and  returned  to  the  ranks  of  the  Ohio 
Conference,  superannuated.  He  was  a  very  devout 
man,  an  able  writer  and  preacher,  and  generally  be- 
loved. He  closed  his  suffering,  yet  happy  life,  at 
Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa,  February  22,    1865. 

Bishop  Janes  was  born  in  Sheffield,  Massachusetts, 
trained  at  Salisbury,  Connecticut;  joined  the  Philadel- 
phia Conference  in  1830;  was  appointed  Financial 
Secretary  of  the  American  Bible  Society  in  1841  ;  and 
elected  bishop  in  1844,  to  which  he  has  devoted  his 
heart  and  life  ever  since,  with  unabated  interest,  and 
is  still  at  work,  generally  known,  and  highly  esteemed. 

THE    POWERS    OF    THE    BISHOPS    DEFINED. 

We  have  already  referred  to  some  complaints 
with  regard  to  the  administration  of  the  bishops, 
indicated  by  petitions  to  the  General  Conference  four 
years  before,  asking  for  a  "moderate  episcopacy." 
The  bishops,  in  their  address  to  the  General  Conference 
of  1844,  desiring  to  allay  any  fears  that  might  exist 
on  that  point,  denned  their  position  and  powers  in 
so  just  a  manner,  and  so  contrary  to  sentiments 
afterward  assumed  by  certain  Southern  delegates, 
and  latterly  by  some  Northern  preachers,  that  we 
deem  it  appropriate  to  quote  their  words.  They 
say:  "Without  entering  minutely  into  the  details 
of  what  is  involved  in  the  superintendency,  it  is 
sufficient  for  our  present  design  to  notice  its  several 
departments.  1.  Confirming  orders  by  ordaining 
deacons  and  elders.  We  say  confirming,  because  the 
orders  are  conferred  by  another  body,  which  is  inde- 
pendent of  the  episcopal  office,  both  in  its  organiza- 


4 1 8  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

tion  and  action.  This  confirmation  of  orders,  or 
ordination,  is  not  by  virtue  of  a  distinct  and  higher 
order;  for,  with  our  great  founder,  we  are  convinced 
that  bishops  and  presbyters  are  the  same  order  in  the 
Christian  ministry.  And  this  has  been  the  sentiment 
of  the  Wesleyan  Methodists  from  the  beginning. 
But  it  is  by  virtue  of  an  office  constitued  by  the 
body  of  presbyters  for  the  better  order  of  discipline." 
(See  Journal,  pp.   154,  155.) 

NEW    RESTRICTIONS    ON    THE    ITINERANCY. 

The  bishops  had  been  practicing  for  several  years 
under  a  rule  made  by  themselves  disallowing  a  minis- 
ter to  remain  more  than  four  years  in  succession  in 
the  same  city.  If  held  subordinate  to  the  calls  of 
Divine  Providence,  it  was  not  unreasonable,  as  in 
those  days,  four  years  was  generally  long  enough;  but 
as  a  rule  from  which  there  could  be  no  deviation  what- 
ever, it  allowed  them  to  follow  Providence  to  the  ex- 
tent of  four  years,  but  no  further.  And  to  render  it 
still  more  unreasonable  and  disastrous,  it  was  added, 
that  a  minister  having  been  in  a  city  four  years,  should 
not  return  to   it  till   he  had   been   absent   six   years. 

Another  Episcopal  rule,  in  keeping  with  this,  was, 
that  a  preacher  should  not  remain  in  the  same  station 
more  than  two  years  in  six.  These  rules  saved  the 
bishops  the  trouble  of  inquiring  into  the  will  of  God, 
or  the  best  interest  of  the  cause  in  the  cases  in- 
volved; but  that  they  sometimes  came  sadly  in  collision 
with  both  is  as  demonstrable  as  any  thing  of  the  kind 
can  be.  Still,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  bishops, 
these  rules  were  adopted  by  the  General  Conference, 
and  inserted  in  the  Discipline,  where  they  remained 


GREAT  REVIVALS. 


419 


a  few  years  and  were  then  superseded  by  the  pres- 
ent arrangement,  restricting  the  continuance  of  a 
preacher  to  the  same  appointment  to  three  years  in 
six.  But  this  rule,  allowing  of  no  exception  in  the 
ordinary  work,  is  open  to  the  same  objection,  though 
less  liable  to  prove  hurtful  to  the  cause  than  the 
former. 

THE    GROUND    ASSUMED. 

The  ground  assumed  by  the  opponents  of  these 
rules  was,  that,  however  desirable  it  might  be  for 
bishops  to  have  some  general  understanding  among 
themselves  as  to  the  proper  policy  to  be  pursued  in 
particular  cases  not  settled  by  the  Discipline,  the  less 
they  should  commit  themselves  to  do  or  not  to  do  in 
matters  of  expediency  before  ascertaining  all  the  facts 
bearing  on  the  case,  the  better.  And  the  same  was 
thought  to  be  true  of  the  General  Conference.  It 
may  safely  make  rules  providing  for  deviations  under 
peculiar  circumstances,  with  entire  respect  to  Divine 
Providence,  and  the  welfare  of  the  cause ;  but  to  bind 
the  bishops  rigidly  to  a  set  of  rules,  and  allow  them  no 
discretion  or  deviation,  under  any  circumstances  what- 
soever, shows  very  great  want  of  confidence  in  them 
or  in  God.  Their  idea  was  to  make  the  rules,  but 
to  provide  for  deviations,  as  in  the  case  of  agents  for 
literary  institutions,  etc.,  who  can  only  be  appointed 
by  a  bishop,  when  requested  by  an  annual  confer- 
ence. (See  Discipline,  ^219.)  It  was  on  this  princi- 
ple that  the  writer  opposed  the  extension  of  the  term 
to  three  years.  He  believed  that  two  years  were 
generally  sufficient,  and  that  where  a  longer  term 
was  necessary,  there  would  be  good  sense  and  piety 


420  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

enough  in  the  bishop  and  conference  tcf  grant  it. 
But  the  majority  decided  to  make  the  term  three 
years,  and  allow  no  man  to  remain  a  minute  longer, 
however  loudly  Providence  might  call  for  the  fourth. 
The  result  is,  some  desire  to  stay  three  years  who 
really  ought  to  remain  but  one,  and  the  call  in  a 
very  few  cases  is  louder  and  more  emphatic  for  the 
fonrtJi  year  than  it  was  for  the  first  or  the  third,  but 
there  is  no  administrative  power  on  earth  to  grant  it. 

This  is  thought  to  be  inconsistent,  I.  Because,  as  a 
Church,  we  claim  to  be  especially  led  by  Providence. 
2.  Because  that  we  pray  to  be  so  led,  whereas  we 
have  already  determined  not  to  follow  Providence  be- 
yond three  years,  however  loudly  it  may  call.  While 
it  may  not  often  be  desirable  to  go  beyond  this  limit, 
the  bishops,  in  concurrence  with  the  conference, 
should  have  authority  to  do  so  in  great  emergencies. 
Of  course,  this  would  require  investigation  and  decis- 
ion, where  now  the  rule  excludes  both.  If  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  were  to  make  a  rule  appointing  the 
presiding  elders  by  seniority  of  service,  and  the 
preachers  in  regular  rotation,  without  regard  to  adap- 
tation, it  would  relieve  them  altogether;  they  would 
hardly  be  needed.  But  that  would  be  folly.  Are 
not  the  inflexible  rules  objected  to  liable  to  a  similar 
charge  ? 

The  itinerancy  is  the  stamped  feature  of  Method- 
ism, to  which  it  is  largely  indebted  for  its  success, 
and  it  must  be  maintained.  We  would  make  no 
suggestion  looking  toward  its  overthrow.  Any  rule 
that  holds  a  man  to  a  position  the  second  or  third 
year,  who  clearly  ought  to  vacate  at  the  close  of 
the   first,  is   an   error.      But    it    does   happen  in    the 


GREA  T  RE  VIVALS.  42 1 

course  of  time,  that  the  very  man  whom  Providence 
requires  to  leave  one  place  at  the  close  of  the  first 
year,  is  required  to  continue  the  fourth  in  another  place 
by  the  same  high  authority.  May  not  the  Church 
safely  provide  for  following  Providence  in  the  latter 
case,  as  well  as  the  former?  We  think  so.  But  the 
General  Conference  seems  to  have  been  strangely 
averse  to  it.  Formerly,  some  bishops  would  allow  a 
preacher  to  remain  an  extra  year  as  supernumerary, 
and  this  relieved  the  difficulty.  (See  South  Fifth- 
street,  Minutes,  1858.  New  York  East  Conference.) 
But  somebody  became  alarmed  for  the  itinerancy, 
and  procured  the  enactment  of  a  rule  prohibiting 
even  this.      (See  Dis.  ^[  295.) 

Thus  our  bishops  are  now  so  hedged  about  that 
they  can  not  appoint  a  man  an  extra  year  if  it  were 
to  save  the  universe,  showing  a  mortifying  distrust  not 
of  bishops  only,  but  of  the  whole  Church.  How- 
ever, the  writer  is  not  tenacious.  He  ventures  these 
suggestions  for  what  they  may  be  worth.  God  is  good 
enough  to  overrule  our  errors,  and  will  probably  do 
so  in  this  case.  But  a  majority  may  take  other  views, 
and  maintain  our"  long  continued  course. 


422  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  X. 

SLAVERY — ITS   EARLY   TREATMENT SUSPENSION    OF   HOSTILI- 
TIES  ABOLITIONISM    AND   THE    GENERAL   CON- 
FERENCE   OF    1836,    ETC. 

NO  history  of  Methodism  can  be  true  to  the 
subject,  which  does  not  indicate  something 
further  of  its  relations  to  negro  slavery.  Now  that 
it  is  abolished  both  in  England  and  America,  the 
two  grand  centers  of  Methodism,  many  are  quite 
willing  to  claim  the  honor  of  the  noble  achievement, 
who  are  known  to  have  opposed  it  to  the  last,  while 
some  take  more  credit  than  belongs  to  them,  and 
ignore  others  who  acted  a  more  influential  part. 

This  remark  is  fully  justified  by  the  four  or  five 
histories  of  emancipation  which  have  been  and  are 
now  being  published.  They  almost  entirely  over- 
look the  agency  of  Methodism — in  some  cases,  prob- 
ably, from  prejudice,  and  in  others  from  ignorance. 
The  several  authors  wrote  from  their  respective  stand- 
points, neither  of  which  was  favorable  to  a  proper 
appreciation  of  the  part  which  the  Church  acted  in 
the  long  and  tedious  conflict.  In  saying  this,  we  are 
by  no  means  so  blind  to  its  defects  as  to  believe  that 
its  course  was  always  right,  or  the  most  favorable  to 
the  final  result.  This  can  not  be  predicated  of  any 
Church  or  association  in  the  country.  Even  the 
Quakers,   who  were   for  a  while    more   distinguished 


SECTIONAL  DIFFERENCES.  423 

for  opposition  to  slavery,  perhaps,  than  any  other 
religious  society,  once  tolerated  slave-holding  among 
their  members.  But  we  are  quite  satisfied  that  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  with  all  her  defects, 
did  contribute  more  toward  the  wonderful  consum- 
mation than  is  generally  attributed  to  her.  Let  us 
glance  at  the  facts,  good  and  bad,  and  see  how  far 
they  justify  this  opinion. 

mr.  wesley's  position. 

Mr.  Wesley's  hostility  to  slavery,  in  all  its  moods 
and  tenses,  is  not  generally  understood.  When  in 
Georgia  and  South  Carolina,  in  1736,  he  was  deeply 
affected  with  the  heathenish  condition  of  the  slaves, 
but,  returning  home  soon,  was  unable  to  do  much 
for  them;  but,  twenty  years  after,  he  corresponded 
with  Rev.  Samuel  Davis,  a  Presbyterian,  of  Virginia, 
and  sent  him  a  present  of  books  for  their  benefit. 
About  that  time,  a  Mr.  Gilbert,  of  Antigua,  speaker 
of  the  House  of  Assembly,  visited  England,  accom- 
panied by  four  of  his  slaves,  where  he  heard  Mr. 
Wesley  preach,  and  was  converted  December  29, 
1758.  Mr.  Wesley  baptized  two  of  the  slaves. 
They  laid  the  foundation  of  the  Wesleyan  missions, 
which  did  much  to  prepare  the  slaves  of  the  West 
Indies  for  emancipation. 

In  1774,  he  published  a  large  pamphlet,  entitled, 
"Thoughts  upon  Slavery,"  one  of  the  most  elabo- 
rate and  able  works  on  the  subject  in  the  English 
language.  It  exerted  a  powerful  influence  on  the 
public  conscience,  and  contributed  largely,  Ave  have 
no  doubt,  to  multiply  the  petitions  which  began,  ten 
years  after,  to  flow  into  Parliament  against  the  slave- 


424  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

trade.  It  was  sent  out  in  every  direction  with  his 
preachers,  and  was  widely  scattered  by  them  both  in 
Europe  and  America.  How  much  he  inspired  Mr. 
Clarkson,  who  was  the  very  soul  of  the  antislavery 
movement  in  England,  we  can  not  say ;  but  it  is  cer- 
tain that  he  gave  him  his  most  hearty  approval.  In 
one  of  his  letters  to  him,  he  said:  "Go  on,  in  the 
name  of  God  and  in  the  power  of  his  might,  till 
even  American  slavery  (the  vilest  that  ever  saw  the 
sun)  shall  vanish  away  before  it."  Prior  to  this,  he 
had  taken  a  lively  interest  in  the  bills  which  were 
proposed  to  Parliament  by  Messrs.  Pitt,  Wilberforce, 
and  others,  and  which  finally  resulted  not  only  in 
the  abolition  of  the  slave-trade,  but  in  the  overthrow 
of  slavery  itself  throughout  the  British  dominions. 

THE    ATTITUDE    OF    EARLY    METHODISTS    IN    AMERICA. 

Wesley's  followers  naturally  sympathized  with  his 
antislavery  views,  so  that  when  some  of  them  came 
to  America  as  missionaries,  they  were  in  no  mood 
to  tolerate  the  system  of  slavery,  which  they  found 
there  on  every  side.  They  began  at  once  to  preach 
and  talk  privately  against  it.  For  a  while  they 
made  considerable  headway.  At  a  conference  of 
the  preachers,  in  1780,  the  matter  was  introduced 
and  decided  thus:  "Does  the  conference  acknowl- 
edge that  slavery  is  contrary  to  the  laws  of  God, 
man,  and  nature,  and  hurtful  to  society,  contrary  to 
the  dictates  of  conscience  and  pure  religion,  and 
doing  that  which  we  would  not  others  should  do  to 
us  and  ours?  Do  we  pass  our  disapprobation  upon 
all  our  friends  who  keep  slaves,  and  advise  their  free- 
dom?    Answer.   Yes." 


SECTIONAL  DIFFERENCES.  425 

Four  years  after,  at  which  time  the  Church  Avas 
duly  organized,  the  conference  prohibited  "the  buy- 
ing or  selling  the  bodies  and  souls  of  men,  women, 
or  children  with  an  intention  to  enslave  them,"  thus 
striking  boldly  at  the  slave-trade  and  excluding  it 
from  the  Church.  It  also  made  provision  for  expell- 
ing all  members  who  would  not  manumit  their  slaves, 
pronouncing  slavery  ' '  contrary  to  the  golden  law  of 
God,  the  inalienable  rights  of  mankind,  as  well  as 
every  principle  of  the  Revolution." 

But  the  abomination  was  too  deeply  rooted  in 
the  cupidity  of  the  people  to  be  easily  eradicated. 
It  was  profitable,  and  becoming  more  and  more  so 
every  year,  especially  in  the  South.  The  Northern 
States  had  seen  the  evil,  and  were  working  out  of 
it.  Massachusetts  adopted  a  bill  of  rights  in  1780, 
and  New  Hampshire  a  Constitution  about  that  time, 
which  made  them  both  free  by  judicial  interpreta- 
tion. The  others  followed  with  immediate  or  gradual 
emancipation,  but  not  without  intense  and  persistent 
antislavery  work. 

Young  Methodism  did  its  part  in  these  move- 
ments, according  to  its  little  strength  and  influence. 
It  made  many  rules,  from  time  to  time,  to  restrain 
its  preachers  and  members  from  participating  in  the 
great  evil;  but  still  it  grew  and  prevailed.  Both 
traveling  and  local  preachers  became  entangled  in  it 
to  such  an  extent  that  all  attempts  to  effect  emanci- 
pation seemed  useless. 

A    TURN    IN    THE    TIDE. 

Here  the  tide  gradually  turned,  and  a  new  style 
of  legislation  was  adopted,  for  reasons  which  can  be 

36 


426  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

easily  imagined.  In  1 804,  preachers  were  required 
to  admonish  all  slaves  to  render  due  respect  and 
obedience  to  their  respective  masters;  and,  four 
years  later,  all  that  related  to  slave-holding  among 
private  members  was  struck  out  of  the  Discipline, 
and  annual  conferences  were  authorized  to  make 
their  own  regulations  relative  to  buying  and  selling 
slaves.  This  was  done  to  throw  off  responsibility, 
and  let  the  conferences  concerned  manage  the  troub- 
lesome question  to  suit  themselves.  (Stevens's  His- 
tory, Vol.   IX,  p.  454.) 

It  was  reaffirmed  in  18.12,  and  rescinded  in  1820, 
and,  in  1824,  instructions  were  added  with  regard  to 
the  treatment  of  slaves,  their  emancipation  appearing 
to  be  impossible.  After  this,  for  several  years,  the 
General  Conference  said  little  on  the  subject;  but 
the  Southern  conferences  regularly  drifted  from  orig- 
inal principles  until  they  came  to  regard  slavery  as 
just  and  right,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  action  of 
the  Georgia  Conference  of  1837,  m  these  words: 

"Whereas,  there  is  a  clause  in  the  Discipline  of 
our  Church  which  states  that  we  are  as  much  as 
ever  convinced  of  the  great  evil  of  slavery;  and 
whereas,  the  said  clause  has  been  perverted  by  some 
and  used  in  such  a  manner  as  to  produce  the  impres- 
sion that  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  believed 
slavery  to  be  a  moral  evil';  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  the  Georgia 
Annual  Conference'  that  slavery,  as  it  exists  in  the 
United  States,  is  not  a  moral  evil." 

Looking  at  this  declaration,  to  which  we  never 
heard  a  demur  from  the  extreme  Southern  confer- 
ences, in  connection  with  the  denunciations  of  slavery 


SECTIONAL   DIFFERENCES. 


427 


proclaimed  by  the  fathers  of  the  Church,  one  may 
be  surprised  at  the  wonderful  apostasy  which  it 
indicates;  but  the  same  great  change  transpired  in 
all  classes  of  society,  and  in  all  parts  of  the  country. 
The  North  even,  after  abolishing  slavery  as  a  sin  and 
blot  upon  a  free  government,  came  to  indorse  and 
defend  it  with  almost  as  much  vehemence  as  the 
slave-holders  themselves,  as  will  be  seen  when  we 
come  to  speak  of  slavery  and  abolition.  Though 
few  citizens  of  the  free  States  owned  slaves,  the 
whole  community  was  interested  in  the  products  of 
their  labor.  Cotton,  rice,  sugar,  tobacco,  etc.,  were 
staple  articles  of  commerce,  which  the  free  States 
needed  and  could  get  in  exchange  for  food,  cloth- 
ing, and  various  kinds  of  costly  furniture,  in  great 
demand  with  slave-holders. 

Besides,  these  gentlemen  spent  large  sums  of 
money  North,  during  the  Summer  months,  at  our 
hotels  and  watering-places,  and  in  the  education  of 
their  children.  There  were  other  bonds  of  union 
between  the  two  sections,  created  by  intermarriages, 
Church,  political,  and  other  fellowships,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  personal  esteem,  which  was  very  strong  on 
both  sides.  The  notable  hospitality  of  slaveholders 
had  endeared  them  to  many  a  Northern  heart.  All 
these  things  combined  to  intrench  slavery  in  public 
confidence;  and,  had  the  South  managed  their  great 
advantage  with  more  prudence,  they  might  have 
retained  their  position  to  the  present  time. 

ORIGINAL    PRINCIPLES    REAFFIRMED. 

But  the  General  Conference  rallied,  in  i860,  and 
reiterated   our   old   principles,    saying,    "We   believe 


428  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

that  the  buying,  selling,  or  holding  of  human  beings, 
to  be  used  as  chattels,  is  contrary  to  the  laws  of  God 
and  nature,  and  inconsistent  with  the  golden  rule," 
etc.,  and  admonished  our  preachers  and  people  "to 
seek  its  extirpation  by  all  lawful  and  Christian 
means."  Four  years  after,  the  general  rule  was 
changed  to  prohibit  slave-holding,  as  well  as  buying 
or  selling  slaves. 

The  retrogression  of  the  Church,  however,  to 
which  we  have  referred,  was  not  complete.  The 
Discipline  still  retained  much  of  its  former  antago- 
nism to  the  system,  and  contemplated  its  overthrow, 
which,  though  partially  inoperative  for  a  time,  be- 
came of  the  utmost  importance  to  abolitionists  after- 
ward, when  accused  of  disturbing  the  peace  of  the 
Church.  The  General  Rules  still  prohibited  "the 
buying  and  selling  of  men,  women,  and  children 
with  an  intention  of  enslaving  them,"  while  the 
chapter  on  slavery  proposed  active  measures  for  its 
abolishment. 

This  was  the  standing  sentiment  of  the  Church, 
officially  published  North  and  South  from  year  to 
year,  and  had  more  or  less  to  do  with  creating  that 
state  of  things  which  produced  emancipation.  We 
have  yet  to  know  of  another  Church  or  associa- 
tion embracing  the  slave-holding  States  that  took  a 
stronger  position.  Besides,  the  Church  during  all 
this  time  was  pushing  its  evangelizing  labors  among 
the  slaves,  and  thus  preparing  them  for  liberty. 

THE    SUBJECT    STILL    ALIVE. 

This  quiet,  however,  in  the  General  Conference 
did  not  put  the  subject  to  rest  either  in  the  Church 


SECTIONAL  DIFFERENCES. 


429 


or  out  of  it.  Slave-holders  never  failed  to  be  present 
in  Congress  with  some  new  demand,  or  to  find  par- 
ties of  opponents  scattered  about  the  country,  wrho 
were  not  wanting  in  zeal  or  courage  to  denounce 
them.  It  was  impossible  to  keep  the  subject  down. 
Slaves  would  run  away  and  must  be  caught.  This 
often  created  no  little  excitement.  The  fact  that  the 
land  of  the  free  should  be  the  hunting-ground  of 
oppressors  was,  to  say  the  least,  extremely  mortify- 
ing. Besides,  the  free  negroes  were  multiplying  by 
one  means  and  another,  and  certain  slaves  were  get- 
ting to  know  more,  and  becoming  less  valuable,  and 
there  was  no  possible  way  to  get  rid  of  them.  These 
circumstances  taxed  the  wisdom  of  the  South  ex- 
ceedingly. At  length,  a  semi-religious  thought  oc- 
curred to  some  one,  who  expanded  it  into  a  magnifi- 
cent plan  to  remove  the  free  negroes,  who  were 
regarded  as  a  nuisance,  and  such  slaves  as  their 
owners  might  feel  disposed  for  one  reason  or  another 
to  manumit,  in  a  benevolent  way.  After  mature 
deliberation,  though  without  fully  comprehending  all 
the  bearings  of  the  project,  in   18 16 

THE    COLONIZATION    SOCIETY    WAS    ORGANIZED    IN 

the  City  of  Washington,  and  pressed  upon  public 
attention  as  a  Christian  institution,  designed  to  pro- 
mote the  welfare  of  the  colored  race.  Auxiliaries 
were  formed  and  agents  appointed  in  all  parts  of  the 
country.  To  the  North  it  was  represented  as  an  anti- 
slavery  missionary  movement,  calculated  to  under- 
mine slavery  and  redeem  Africa.  With  this  under- 
standing many  Churches  indorsed  it,  and  took  collec- 
tions   in    its    interest.      The    General    Conference    of 


430  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

1824  considered  the  subject,  but,  for  the  want  of  infor- 
mation, did  not  commit  itself  further  than  to  authorize 
the  bishops  to  send  missionaries  to  Africa  under  its 
auspices  so  soon  as  the  funds  would  justify  it.  But 
four  years  after  it  highly  approved  its  objects  and 
measures,  and  recommended  the  ministry  and  mem- 
bership to  favor  it,  by  collections  and  otherwise. 
It  subsequently  repeated  the  recommendation  with 
much  emphasis.  This  brought  its  claims  before  the 
whole  Church,  and  with  it  the  correlative  question 
of  slavery. 

About  this  time,  too,  the  society  unsuspiciously 
solicited  sermons  to  be  preached  by  ministers  gener- 
ally on  the  Fourth  of  July,  and  collections  to  be  taken 
for  the  promotion  of  its  objects.  Many  responded 
favorably,  printed  their  sermons,  and  sent  them 
broadcast  by  mail,  not  overlooking  the  Southern 
States,  to  which  the  society  properly  belonged.  But 
they  were  so  full  of  liberty  to  the  captives  that  they 
created  a  terrible  excitement.  Dr.  Capers  was  led  to 
doubt,  on  reading  these  stirring  productions,  whether 
he  was  in  favor  of  the  society  or  not,  and  said,  in  a 
letter  to  Dr.  Bangs,  editor  of  The  Christian  Advocate, 
that  if  "he  had  been  the  author  and  distributor  of 
them,  and  had  been  compelled  to  suffer  death  for  it, 
he  might  not  have  called  the  punishment  a  persecu- 
tion." He  thought  the  managers  should  have  known 
better  than  to  have  issued  such  an  invitation,  and  he 
pronounced  it  a   " miscarriage." 

But  the  society  did  not  take  zvell  with  antislavery 
men.  To  their  apprehension  it  was  a  suspicious 
affair,  and  they  soon  denounced  it  as  a  pro-slavery 
movement.      In   support  of  this  opinion   they  urged 


SECTIONAL  DIFFERENCES.  43  I 

that  Judge  Bushrod,  its  first  president,  and  nearly  all 
its  managers,  were  slave-holders,  and  that  twelve  of 
its  seventeen  vice-presidents  were  Southern  men.  Be- 
sides, it  originated  in  the  South,  and  claimed  South- 
ern support  on  the  ground  that  it  "must  materially 
tend  to  secure  the  property  of  every  master  in  the 
United  States  in  his  slaves."  And  what  placed  this 
point  beyond  question  with  the  people  was  its  bitter 
hostility  to  antislavery  measures.  But  still  many  wise 
men  thought  they  saw  good  in  it,  and  gave  it  their 
cordial  support. 

We  have  not  room  to  repeat  the  arguments  on 
either  side.  Who  was  right  or  wrong  is  of  no  ac- 
count now.  Nothing  can  be  more  certain  than  that 
the  Colonization  Society  originated  in  the  South, 
and  was  intended  to  fortify  slavery,  and  increase  the 
value  of  slave  property.  But  instead  of  doing  so, 
it  inaugurated  a  discussion  through  the  free  States 
that  produced  emancipation  —  showing  that  God 
sometimes  leads  men  and  nations  in  ways  that  they 
do  not  understand. 

ANTISLAVERY   SOCIETIES    ORGANIZED. 

A  few  men,  like  Elias  Hicks,  Benjamin  Lundy, 
and  William  Lloyd  Garrison,  were  so  impressed  with 
the  wrongs  of  slavery  that  they  were  ready  to  seize 
upon  every  opportunity  to  assail  it,  and  took  advan- 
tage of  this  opening  to  herald  their  views  in  every 
direction.  Others  soon  joined  them,  and  the  con- 
troversy waxed  warm,  and  led  to  the  formation  of 
the  ''New  England  Antislavery  Society"  in  1832,  in 
Boston. 

At  its  first  anniversary  it   initiated   measures  for 


432  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

the  calling  of  a  convention  to  form  a  National  Society 
of  similar  character,  which  resulted  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  "American  Antislavery  Society,"  at  Phil- 
adelphia, in  December,  1833.  In  the  mean  time  The 
Liberator  and  other  antislavery  papers  had  been 
started,  and  were  attracting  much  attention.  These 
things  greatly  disturbed  the  South.  The  Legislature 
of  Georgia  offered  a  reward  of  five  thousand  dollars  for 
the  arrest  of  the  editor  of  the  Liberator,  and  other  sim- 
ilar methods  were  adopted  in  the  slave  States  for  the 
arrest  of  any  body  who  should  be  found  circulating 
"incendiary"  sentiments.  Our  missions  to  the  slaves 
were  badly  threatened  and  interrupted.  Bishops  and 
editors  were  greatly  alarmed,  and,  in  common  with 
other  denominations,  made  haste  to  resist  the  coming 
tide,  and  our  official  papers  opened  upon  "abolition- 
ism" in  good  earnest. 

ORIGIN    OF    METHODIST  ABOLITIONISM. 

But  it  was  too  much  to  expect  common  Method- 
ist preachers  to  stand  still  under  these  circumstances 
and  do  nothing.  "  What  shall  we  do  for  the  extir- 
pation of  the  evil  of  slavery?"  had  been  ringing  in 
their  ears  ever  since  they  first  read  the  Discipline. 
The  British  Parliament  was  just  then  striking  off  the 
last  fetter  from  its  West  Indian  subjects,  and  Provi- 
dence seemed  to  be  calling  upon  Christians  for  vig- 
orous action.  Revs.  Orange  Scott  and  La  Roy  Sun- 
derland, of  the  New  England  Conference,  Rev. 
George  Storrs,  of  the  New  Hampshire  Conference, 
and  some  others,  heard  the  call,  and  entered  the 
field  with  pen  and  voice,  and  did  efficient  service. 
When  Dr.   Fisk  offered  the  usual  resolutions  in  favor 


SECTIONAL  DIFFERENCES.  433 

of  the  Colonization  Society  in  the  New  England 
Conference  in  1834,  Mr.  Scott  moved  to  lay  them  on 
.the  table  where  they  still  sleep.  At  the  opening  of 
the  following  year,  from  December  30,  1834,  to 
March  20,  1835,  he  published  a  series  of  sixteen 
articles  in  Ziori s  Herald,  detailing  the  horrors  of 
slavery  and  the  duty  of  immediate  emancipation. 
Mr.  Sunderland  wrote  an' "appeal"  on  the  subject, 
which  was  published  in  an  extra  of  the  same  paper 
February  4,  1835,  signed  by  Shipley  Willson,  Abram 
D.  Merrill,  La  Roy  Sunderland,  George  Storrs,  and 
Gared  Perkins. 

These  documents,  with  others,  took  effect.  Many 
believed  the  doctrines  set  forth,  and  committed  them- 
selves to  the  antislavery  cause.  Others,  good  and 
true  men,  resisted  the  movement  with  great  power 
of  argument  and  influence.  Mr.  Sunderland's  "ap- 
peal" was  met  with  a  "counter  appeal,"  which  ap- 
peared in  another  extra  of  Zioris  Herald,  April  8, 
1835,  signed  by  nine  of  our  leading  ministers.  It 
did  not  assume  to  defend  slavery  outright,  but  claimed 
that  Christians  were  justified  in  holding  slaves  under 
certain  circumstances,  and  that  abolitionism  was 
wrong,  and  dangerous  to  every  interest  involved, 
civil,  ecclesiastical,  and  religious.  Thus  the  contro- 
versy was  fully  inaugurated  in  the  Church,  ministers 
and  people  taking  position  on  one  side  or  the  other 
with  more  or  less  zeal  and  activity.  New  writers 
and  speakers  came  to  the  front  almost  every  week. 
Conventions,  addresses,  resolutions,  hard  speeches, 
and  mobs  were  the  order  of  the  day,  and  the 
outlook  was  threatening;  but  the  cause  advanced 
rapidly. 

37 


434  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


THE   NEW   ENGLAND   CONFERENCE   LEADS  OFF. 

The  next  New  England  Conference  met  in  Lynn, 
Massachusetts,  June  3,  1835,  when  it  was  found  that 
a  majority  of  the  members  were  ready  to  take  spe- 
cific action.  They  accordingly  organized  for  the 
purpose,  under  the  title  of  the  ' '  Xew  England  YVes- 
leyan  Antislavery  Society,"  and  made  arrangements 
to  circulate  Wesley's  "Thoughts  on  Slavery,"  and 
other  documents;  and  appointed  a  committee  to  write 
an  address  to  the  members  of  the  Church  within  the 
bounds  of  the  conference,  and  publish  it  in  Ziori s 
Herald,  which  was  done  in  due  time. 

The  events,  however,  which  created  the  most 
excitement,  grew  out  of  the  election  of  delegates  to 
the  General  Conference,  which  was  to  convene  the 
following  May,  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Dr.  Fisk  had 
been  the  leading  man  of  the  conference  for  some 
years,  and  naturally  expected  that  he  would  command 
the  largest  number  of  votes  ;  but  the  ballot  placed 
Mr.  Scott  at  the  head,  the  doctor  next,  supported  by 
five  abolitionists  in  the  rear.  Averse  to  abolition  as 
Dr.  Fisk  really  and  honestly  was,  the  situation  did 
not  please  him,  and  he  declined  to  serve ;  whereupon, 
an  abolitionist  was  elected  in  his  place.  This  was 
all  proper  enough.  Conferences  are  free  to  vote  for 
whom  they  please;  and  good  men  are  often  disap- 
pointed to  find  themselves  behind  others,  and  have 
been  known  to  decline  important  positions,  but  not 
often.  And  it  would  have  created  no  disturbance, 
had  the  matter  been  let  alone  by  outsiders,  who  had 
no  official  connection  with  it.  But  certain  New  York 
brethren    seemed   to    feel   about   that    time  that  the 


SECTIONAL  DIFFERENCES.  435 

whole  Church  was  pretty  much  in  their  charge,  and 
hastened  to  write  a  letter  of  condolence  and  congrat- 
ulation to  Dr.  Fisk,  approving  of  his  declination  to 
be  a  delegate,  and  wasting  no  compliments  on  the 
conference.  This  letter,  with  Dr.  Fisk's  reply,  was 
published  in  The  Christian  Advocate,  September  4, 
1835,  and  elicited  a  protest,  signed  by  some  forty- 
three  members  of  the  New  England  Conference, 
which  was  published  in  Zions  Herald  (for  abolitionists 
had  no  rights  in  our  official  papers,  not  even  to  deny 
any  thing  that  might  be  said  against  them).  The 
protest  charged  that  the  letter  was  an  unjustifiable 
interference  with  the  concerns  of  the  New  England 
Conference,  designed  to  forestall  the  influence  of  the 
delegates  in  the  next  General  Conference.  The  in- 
justice of  this,  and  other  similar  proceedings,  did 
more  to  make  our  preachers  abolitionists  than  the 
lectures  of  Thompson,  Garrison,  and  the  whole  party 
put  together.  Thus,  slave-holders  started  the  aboli- 
tion discussion  by  their  colonization  scheme,  and 
their  apologists  fanned  it  into  a  flame  by  imprudent 
and  unjust  efforts  to  suppress,  it. 

Dr.  Elliott,  whose  hostility  to  abolition  amounted 
to  unmitigated  hatred,  and  tainted,  yea,  totally  inval- 
idated much  of  his  mammoth  volume  on  Secession, 
says  of  this  unfortunate  affair : 

"The  course  of  the  New  York  preachers  and 
laymen  who  signed  the  congratulation  to  Dr.  Fisk, 
was  extraordinary.  It  was  unjust,  and  inflicted  a 
great  injury.  The  New  England  Conference  is  as- 
saulted as  a  set  of  serviles,  and  not  high  even  in 
that  grade.  They  are  published  as  such  to  the  world, 
and   they  can  have  no  space  in  the  columns  of  the 


436  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

paper  which  defamed  them  to  utter  their  protest 
against  such  unjust  measures.  .  .  .  Among  all 
the  publications  we  have  read  since  the  abolition  ex- 
citement in  1833,  we  have  seen  nothing  so  extraor- 
dinary and  so  much  astray  as  this  same  paper,  which 
so  unsparingly  denounced  the  New  England  Confer- 
ence."    (Great  Secession,  p.   125.) 

THE  NEW  HAMPSHIRE  CONFERENCE 

met  soon  after,  July  29,  1835,  and  organized  "The 
Wesleyan  Antislavery  Society "  for  their  own  con- 
venience in  circulating  information — taking  the  popu- 
lar antislavery  ground  of  the  day ;  namely,  slavery, 
sin  per  se,  and  immediate  abolition,  the  right  of  the 
slave  and  the  duty  of  the  master.  It  proposed  and 
introduced  a  report  which  the  bishop  declined  to 
entertain ;  whereupon,  the  conference  went  into  a 
committee  of  the  whole,  and  adopted  it.  It  was 
published  in  the  Herald,  September  30,  but  never, 
of  course,  in  The  Christian  Advocate.  But  The  Chris- 
tian Advocate  assailed  both  it  and  the  conference,  in 
terms  which  we  forbear  to  repeat,  and  refused  to 
publish  any  reply. 

These  circumstances  necessitated  other  measures, 
to  which  we  shall  allude  hereafter. 

ADDRESSES  OF  BISHOPS  HEDDING,   EMORY,   AND  DR.  FISK. 

The  next  important  event  that  transpired  was  an 
Address  to  the  ministers  and  members  of  the  New 
England  and  New  Hampshire  Conferences  by  Bishops 
Hedding  and  Emory,  published  September  10th,  ex- 
pressing their  solicitude  on  account  of  the  painful 
excitement  on  the  subject  of  "immediate  abolition/' 


SECTIONAL  DIFFERENCES.  437 

It  assumed  that  the  trouble  was  limited  to  those  two 
conferences,  and  that  many  of  the  preachers,  and  a 
majority  of  the  people,  were  opposed  to  the  move- 
ment, as  was  the  Church  generally  ;  that  it  was  doing 
great  damage  to  our  missionary  work  among  the 
slaves,  and,  indeed,  would  be  likely  to  divide  the 
Church  and  the  country  if  continued.  They  entreated 
them,  therefore,  to  desist.  The  address  manifested  a 
kind  spirit,  but  it  was  heretical  in  sentiment  and 
policy,  according  to  the  antislavery  standards  of 
New  England,  and  gave  no  perceptible  check  to  the 
agitation. 

Dr.  Fisk,  being  about  to  embark  for  Europe, 
published  a  farewell  address  to  his  New  England 
friends,,  taking  the  same  ground  on  the  subject  the 
bishops  had  done  ;  but  it,  also,  utterly  failed  of  its 
object.  The  fact  is,  abolition  was  a  religious  senti- 
ment, deeply  imbedded  in  the  hearts  of  the  preachers 
and  the  people  who  advocated  it.  They  knew  that 
holding  and  treating  their  fellow-beings  and  members 
of  the  Church  as  property  was  sin,  if  there  was  any 
such  thing  as  sin  in  the  universe,  and  that  the  way 
to  kill  it  was  to  expose  its  enormity.  It  cost  them 
a  great  deal  to  take  the  stand  they  did,  against  the 
remonstrances  of  their  best  friends,  and  in  the  face  of 
powerful  enemies,  backed  by  public  opinion.  They 
loved  the  bishops  and  Dr.  Fisk,  and  were  sorry  to 
afflict  them,  but  felt  compelled  to  follow  their  honest 
convictions. 

INJUSTICE   TO    ABOLITIONISTS. 

The  injustice  with  which  they  were  treated  was 
directly   calculated   to   make   them   persistent,  if  not 


438  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

severe.  They  seemed  to  have  no  rights  which  others 
were  bound  to  respect.  Shut  out  of  the  Church  pa- 
pers, and  disallowed  to  remonstrate  against  slavery  in 
their  conferences,  while  slave-holders  and  their  apolo- 
gists had  free  access  to  the  papers,  and  perfect  lib- 
erty in  their  conferences  to  denounce  abolition,  they 
would  have  been  unworthy  of  respect  if  they  had  not 
been  indignant  and  stood  up  for  their  rights.  This 
same  year,  August  20,  1835,  they  were  assailed  in 
the  Western  Christian  Advocate  by  fourteen  Baltimore 
preachers,  and  treated  to  a  rehash  of  the  common 
pro-slavery  complaints  and  prophecies  of  the  day. 
Four  days  after,  the  Ohio  Conference  adopted  a  re- 
port without  let  or  hinderance,  avowing  just  such 
antislavery  sentiments  as  were  current  in  the  South, 
berating  abolitionists,  and  indorsing  the  Colonization 
Society.  The  same  month,  the  Kentucky  Confer- 
ence adopted  a  similar  report,  though  less  pro-slavery, 
declaring  that  the  course  of  the  abolitionists  "  should 
be  looked  upon  as  an  unwarrantable  assumption  of 
claim,  and  an  abuse  of  the  rights  of  citizenship;" 
but  it  commended  colonization  in  the  highest  manner. 

The  Tennessee  Conference  followed  suit  by  a 
string  of  resolutions,  reiterating  Southern  sentiments, 
condemning  abolitionists,  approving  colonization,  the 
course  of  Bishops  Hedding  and  Emory,  the  action  of 
the  Maine,  Ohio,  and  Kentucky  Conferences,  and 
the  efforts  of  Dr.  Fisk ;  and  all  went  into  the  official 
papers. 

While  these  things  were  going  on  in  the  Church, 
they  were  heartily  responded  to  from  without,  in 
similar  utterances,  mobs,  and  declarations  of  oppos- 
ing   sentiment.       The   Governor  of   South    Carolina 


SECTIONAL  DIFFERENCES.  439 

demanded  the  delivery  of  Arthur  Tappan,  of  the  city 
of  New  York,  to  be  judged,  and,  of  course,  hanged, 
by  the  laws  of  the  Palmetto  State.  Governor  M'Duffie 
declared  that  "domestic  slavery,  instead  of  being  a 
political  evil,  is  the  corner-stone  of  our  republican 
edifice." 

zion's  watchman  started. 

Failing  to  see  themselves  the  miscreants  they 
were  represented  to  be,  the  '  *  New  York  Wesleyan 
Society"  issued  Ziori 's  Watchman,  January  1,  1836, 
with  La  Roy  Sunderland  as  editor,  that  they  might 
make  some  sort  of  a  defense.  Mr.  Sunderland  was  a 
very  able  writer,  and  annoyed  his  neighbor  of  the 
Advocate,  Dr.  Bangs,  exceedingly,  who  arraigned  him 
before  the  New  England  Conference  three  or  four 
times,  but  found  him  a  hard  man  to  handle.  Mr. 
Sunderland's  defenses  were  wonderful  specimens  of 
forensic  power,  such  as  we  have  never  heard  excelled 
in  any  court  or  conference  since. 

The  year  1836  renewed  the  dispensation  of  reso- 
lutions. Baltimore  Conference  resolved  itself  "op- 
posed in  every  part  and  particular  to  the  proceedings 
of  the  abolitionists."  The  New  York  Conference 
resolved  to  "disapprove  of  its  members  patronizing, 
or  in  any  way  giving  countenance  to,  a  paper  called 
Ziori s  Watchman"  and  that  it  was  "decidedly  of 
the  opinion  that  none  ought  to  be  elected  to  the 
office  of  deacon  or  elder  unless  he  give  a  pledge  to 
the  conference  that  he  will  refrain  from  agitating  the 
Church  with  discussions  on  the  subject  of  abolition." 
An  antislavery  report  was  presented  to  the  New 
England  Conference  near  its  close,  says  Dr.  Elliott, 


440  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

but  "out  of  regard  to  the  feelings  of  a  minority  it 
was  withdrawn,"  though  a  majority  would  have  voted 
for  it  had  it  come  to  a  decision — a  magnanimity  only 
excelled  by  that  same  majority  the  year  before  in 
electing  Dr.  Fisk  a  delegate,  knowing  him  to  be  op- 
posed to  them,  and  never,  to  our  knowledge,  imi- 
tated by  their  opponents. 

THE    GENERAL    CONFERENCE    OF    1 836. 

The  General  Conference  held  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
however,  was  the  great  denominational  event  of  this 
year.  With  so  many  anti-abolition  resolutions  adopted 
by  the  conservative  conferences  to  keep  down  excite- 
ment, it  was  not  unreasonable  to  expect  a  pretty 
warm  time.  The  second  day  of  the  session  brought 
the  subject  of  slavery  upon  the  tapis  in  an  address 
from  the  British  Conference,  which  was  so  outspoken 
the  conference  would  not  publish  it  in  the  usual  way. 
Besides,  many  antislavery  petitions  were  presented, 
one  signed  by  200  preachers,  and  another  by  2,284 
members,  mostly  from  New  England.  These  were 
duly  referred,  and  met  the  fate  anticipated,  without 
creating  much  excitement. 

But  Rev.  George  Storrs  and  Samuel  Xorris,  from 
New  Hampshire,  exercising  the  common  rights  and 
privileges  of  ministers  and  citizens,  had  the  imperti- 
nence to  attend  an  antislavery  meeting  in  the  city, 
and  make  addresses  looking  toward  the  extirpation 
of  the  "great  evil"  denounced  by  their  Discipline. 
But  this  was  no  business  of  the  General  Conference. 
Had  they  stolen  a  man,  that  conference  had  no  right 
to  try  them;  they  were  amenable  to  the  New  Hamp- 
shire   Conference    alone.       But    might  was    right    in 


SECTIONAL  DIFFERENCES.  44 1 

those  days,  and  will  always  control  where  slavery 
and  kindred  crimes  are  in  the  ascendant;  so  the 
conference,  under  the  lead  of  Baltimore,  hastened  to 
express  its  judgment  of  the  case  in  the  following 
condemnatory  resolutions: 

"Resolved,  I.  By  the  delegates  of  the  annual  con- 
ferences in  General  Conference  assembled,  That  they 
disapprove  in  the  most  unqualified  sense  the  conduct 
of  the  two  members  of  the  General  Conference  who 
are  reported  to  have  lectured  in  this  city  recently 
upon  and  in  favor  of  modern  abolitionism. 

"2.  That  they  are  decidedly  opposed  to  modern 
abolitionism,  and  wholly  disclaim  any  right,  wish,  or 
intention  to  interfere  in  the  civil  and  political  re- 
lation between  master  and  slave,  as  it  exists  in  the 
slave-holding  States  of  this  Union. "    (Journal,  p.  447.) 

The  first  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  122  to  11, 
and  the  last,  being  divided,  by  a  vote,  on  the  first 
part,  of  120  to  14,  and  the  last  by  a  vote  of  137, 
without  opposition.  This  naturally  brought  forth 
a  protest,  signed  by  the  immortal  fourteen;  and  pub- 
lished in  pamphlet  form  for  circulation  among  the 
members  of  the  conference,  as  an  "Address  to  the 
General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  by  a  member  of  that  body;"  but  it  was 
not  allowed  to  go  upon  the  journals,  and  was  de- 
nounced as  "false,  and  an  outrage  on  the  dignity  of 
the  body,  meriting  unqualified  reprehension."  How 
good  men  could  do  so  foolish  a  thing  seems  unac- 
countable, but  they  did  not  understand  themselves 
or  the  purposes  of  Providence.  The  resolutions  went 
forth  and  added  fuel  to  the  fire  they  were  intended 
to  quench.     The  abuse  of  minorities  never  pays. 


442  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

NO    SOUTHERN    BISHOP    ELECTED. 

After  pleasing  the  South  to  such  an  unreasonable 
extent,  it  seemed  unlikely  that  there  would  be  a 
demur  at  any  thing  it  might  demand.  But,  innocent 
as  slave-holding  ministers  were  assumed  to  be  in 
their  peculiar  circumstances,  it  had  never  been 
deemed  expedient  to  elect  one  to  the  episcopacy, 
and  three  new  bishops  were  needed.  The  South 
had  high  hopes  of  breaking  down  this  old  prejudice, 
and  placing  a  slave-holder  in  the  highest  office  of  the 
Church,  and  were  greatly  disappointed  to  find,  on 
counting  the  votes,  that  Messrs.  Waugh,  Fisk,  and 
Morris,  three  non-slave-holders  were  elected.  This 
provoked  Southern  leaders  more  than  abolitionism 
had  done,  and  measures  were  immediately  adopted 
by  William  A.  Smith  and  others  to  create  a  senti- 
ment South  that  should  demand  a  slave-holding 
bishop,  or  the  division  of  that  very  Church  whose 
peace  had  been  an  object  of  so  much  solicitude. 

The  conference  having  adjourned,  the  bishops  and 
delegates  returned  to  their  respective  fields,  to  carry 
out  its  expressed  judgment  and  will.  Accordingly, 
Bishop  Hedding  removed  Mr.  Scott  from  the  presid- 
ing eldership;  but  abolitionists  went  on  much  as 
before,  improving  such  opportunities  as  were  left  to 
them.  And  it  is  well  they  did,  though  they  have 
never  been  forgiven,  and  never  will  be  by  some  of 
their  old  opponents.  But  they  conquered,  and  re- 
deemed the  Church  from  the  deep  degradation  into 
which  it  had  drifted.  Though  slavery  is  abolished, 
its  spirit  still  lingers,  and,  if  not  carefully  watched, 
may   lead    to    other    dangerous   complications.     The 


SECTIONAL  DIFFERENCES.  443 

ownership  of  men,  soul,  body,  and  spirit,  is  its  fullest 
and  worst  development.  The  oppression  of  them  by 
personal  violence,  or  party  tyranny,  is  no  better  in 
principle,  and  may  torment  them  within  the  law. 
The  lash  of  a  majority  in  the  shape  of  an  unjust 
resolution,  is  the  same  in  nature  as  that  of  the  raw- 
hide on  the  bare  back  of  its  helpless  victim.  To 
respect  manhood  and  to  be  just,  though  the  heavens 
fall,  are  rare  virtues. 


444  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  XL 

ANTISLAVERY  CONVENTIONS LEADERS  ARRAIGNED PACIFI- 
CATION  SECESSIONAL  INDICATIONS GENERAL  CONFER- 
ENCE OF  1840 — SECESSION  COMPLETED — GENERAL  CON- 
FERENCE   OF    1844 SOUTHERN    SEPARATION    OPPOSED 

MORAL  INFLUENCE   OF  CONFLICTING   AGENCIES,   ETC. 

WE  closed  the  last  chapter  with  some  account 
of  the  General  Conference  of  1836,  which 
really  intended  to  suppress  the  abolition  agitation. 
How  far  it  succeeded  will  be  seen  in  the  following 
statements: 

The  New  England  Conference  met,  in  1837,  at 
Nantucket,  anticipating  that  the  bishops  would  refuse 
to  put  any  motion  involving  slavery  and  abolition. 
To  be  prepared  for  the  emergency,  the  abolitionists 
had  a  meeting  the  day  before,  and  determined  that, 
unless  they  should  have  the  privilege  of  presenting 
their  memorials,  and  referring  them  in  the  usual  way, 
they  would  block  all  business,  and  adjourn  from  time 
time,  until  their  demands  were  acceded  to;  and  in- 
formed Bishop  Waugh  of  their  purpose.  But  he 
wrote  them  a  kind  letter,  proposing  to  allow  them 
to  adopt  a  respectful  petition  to  the  next  General 
Conference,  and  sheltered  himself  under  the  action 
of  the  late  General  Conference.  The  abolitionists 
did  not  accept  the  compromise  proposed,  or  yield 
the  principle;    but,    being  Methodists,    and   concilia- 


ABOLITION  MO  VEMENTS.  445 

tory  at  that,  and  having  faith  in  God  and  the  just- 
ness of  their  cause,  they  receded  from  their  purpose, 
and  adopted  a  strong  antislavery  report  in  their  so- 
ciety, and  published  it  in  Zioris  Herald.  The  New 
Hampshire  Conference  pursued  a  similar  course,  with 
the  same  results.  Other  conferences  became  alarmed 
about  the  new  doctrine  of  "conference  rights,"  which 
was  liable  to  hit  somebody  else  by  and  by,  and 
cause  trouble  on  other  questions.  But  the  conserv- 
ative conferences  kept  up  the  agitation,  still  claiming 
that  slavery  was  a  political  question,  with  which  they 
had  nothing  to  do. 

ANTISLAVERY    CONVENTIONS. 

Being  silenced  in  the  conferences,  but  not  dis- 
couraged, the  abolitionists  took  themselves  to  conven- 
tions. The  first  was  held  at  Cazenovia,  New  York, 
showing  that  the  reform  was  working  westward. 
August  1 6th,  a  lay  convention  was  held,  growing  out 
of  the  one  at  Cazenovia,  which  took  decided  action 
as  to  the  course  of  the  bishops.  Another  convened 
at  Lynn,  Massachusetts,  October  25th.  and  issued 
a  declaration  of  sentiments,  and  a  long  report  on 
"Conference  Rights,"  which  gave  official  editors  busi- 
ness for  months.  The  famous  Convention  at  Utica, 
New  York,  was  also  held  this  year,  August  2d,  3d, 
and  became  the  innocent  occasion  of  trouble  to  Revs. 
James  Floy  and  C.  K.  True,  who  participated  in  its 
proceedings.  They  were  called  to  account  by  the 
New  York  Conference,  and  laid  under  embargo — 
much  to  their  annoyance,  to  say  the  least — but  they 
both  survived  to  overpower  their  opponents  and 
take  an  active  part  in  the  movement  without  danger 


446  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

to  their  ecclesiastical  standing.  Several  other  minis- 
ters were  present,  who  afterward  joined  the  pro-slav- 
ery party,  one  of  whom  became  a  Southern  D.  D., 
a  slave-holder,  and  a  rebel,  and  finally  found  a  home 
in  the  Church  which  is  supported  by  some  of  its  ad- 
mirers because  it  never  meddles  either  with  politics 
or  religion.  A  similar  convention  was  also  held  in 
Lowell,  Massachusetts,  which  made  no  little  stir. 
The  death  of  Mr.  Lovejoy,  an  able  Congregational 
minister,  by  a  mob  at  Alton,  Illinois,  added  new  fuel 
to  the  flame,  and  made  thousands  of  converts.  The 
proposition  to  annex  Texas  to  the  Union  aroused 
politicians  to  see  the  destiny  to  which  the  nation  was 
drifting.  The  general  controversy  was  lively,  in 
which  Sunderland,  Scott,  Horton,  Bangs,  Fisk,  and 
many  others,  were  prominent. 

TWO    OF    THE    LEADERS    ARRAIGNED. 

The  year  1838  was  remarkable  for  several  impor- 
tant events.  Mr.  Scott  issued  the  first  number  of 
The  Wesleyan  Quarterly  Review,  embracing  a  solemn 
appeal  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  giving 
the  substance  of  the  whole  controversy  in  the  au- 
thor's off-hand  and  forcible  style,  and  handling  his 
opponents  with  unusual  severity.  He  was  an  effec- 
tive preacher  and  writer,  but  in  his  hurry — for  he 
seldom  had  time  to  revise  his  work — and  stung  by 
the  multiplied  suspicions  and  accusations  of  his  op- 
ponents, which  were  very  uncharitable,  and  the  in- 
justice of  editors  in  refusing  him  any  opportunity  to 
reply  to  their  abuse,  he  was  imprudent,  and  impli- 
cated the  motives  of  honest  but  misguided  men. 
Bishop  Hedding  was  much  aggrieved,  and  arraigned 


ABOLITION  MOVEMENTS.  447 

him  at  his  conference,  which  sat  in  Bennett  Street, 
Boston,  June  6th,  and  made  a  stupendous  effort  to 
have  him  rebuked,  at  least.  We  never  saw  that 
grand  old  bishop  tower  higher  than  on  that  memora- 
ble occasion.  The  conference  did  not  fully  approve  of 
Mr.  Scott's  course,  nor  would  it  disparage  him  much 
in  view  of  all  the  circumstances.  While  the  matter 
was  still  pending,  some  one  proposed  a  private  inter- 
view of  the  parties,  to  which  they  assented  ;  and  the 
bishop  invited  the  writer  to  accompany  him  to  the 
place  of  meeting,  where  the  difficulty  was  honorably 
settled. 

Mr.  Sunderland  was  also  arraigned  by  Bishop 
Hedding,  and  had  another  apportunity  to  say  all 
that  was  in  his  heart — and  he  improved  it  to  perfec- 
tion. Mr.  Sunderland  escaped  censure.  But  the 
conference  itself  was  overhauled  by  the  next  Gen- 
eral Conference,  against  all  precedent,  for  acquitting 
these  brethren,  and  would  probably  have  been  cen- 
sured, if  not  expelled,  but  for  the  kind  and  prudent 
interposition  of  Bishop  Hedding.  These  things  did 
not  humble  the  conference  in  the  least;  it  felt  an 
honest  pride  in  its  noble  position,  and  maintained  it. 

But  this  trial  taught  Mr.  Scott  that  the  conference 
would  not  sustain  him  in  imitating  the  severity  of 
his  opponents,  and  that  he  must  be  more  careful. 
The  conference  continued  about  seventeen  days.  For, 
in  addition  to  these  two  gigantic  contests,  another  was 
foisted  upon  it,  still  more  dangerous,  in  the  shape  of 

"a  plan  of  pacification," 

designed  to  modify  both  sides  a  little,  and  improve 
the  spirit  of  the  controversy.      The  trouble  with  the 


448  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

plan  was,  it  got  into  the  "wrong  pew;"  it  properly 
belonged  to  the  agitating  conferences  rather  than  to 
New  England,  which  was  forced  to  keep  still  by 
episcopal  authority.  Bishops  Hedding  and  Soule, 
Drs.  Fisk,  Bangs,  and  the  like,  approved  it — for  New 
England — and  it  was  referred  to  a  committee,  who 
did  not  agree;  whereupon  it  was  presented  to  the 
conference,  and  signed  by  a  majority  of  the  mem- 
bers. The  minority  regarded  it  as  a  yoke,  to  which 
they  could  not  submit  without  proving  recreant  to 
the  reform.  It  soon  became  a  dead  letter,  though 
it  created  a  warm  discussion  for  a  time. 

The  New  Hampshire  Conference  had  better  for- 
tune, meeting  at  Danville,  July  4th.  A  respectable 
resolution  vindicatory  of  abolition  being  introduced, 
Bishop  Morris  decided  it  out  of  order,  but  said  he 
would  allow  an  appeal  from  his  decision  on  certain 
specified  conditions,  which  were  acceded  to,  and  the 
appeal  was  taken  and  sustained,  when  the  resolu- 
tion was  adopted,  eighty-one  voting  for  it,  and  one 
against  it.  All  were  pleased;  nobody  fainted,  and 
business  proceeded  in  good  order.  This  was  the 
turn  of  a  very  damaging  tide,  raised  by  the  bishops 
and  the  General  Conference,  and  did  more  to  tran- 
quillize the  agitation  than  all  the  addresses  that  ever 
came  from  the  episcopal  bench ;  but  it  was  too  late 
to  arrest  the  coming  secession,  which  had  been  pro- 
voked and  nursed  by  the  offensive  administration, 
from  which  it  was  a  palpable  divergence. 

OUTSIDE    OPERATIONS. 

The  American  Antislavery  Society,  with  which 
many  of  our  preachers  were  associated,  as  agents  or 


ABOLITION  MOVEMENTS. 


449 


otherwise,  made  marked  progress  this  year,  reporting 
340  new  auxiliaries,  twelve  of  which  were  State 
societies,  making  in  all  under  its  supervision,  1,346. 
It  employed  thirty-eight  agents,  printed  a  vast 
amount  of  matter,  and  sent  petitions  to  the  United 
States  Senate,  embracing  414,000  names,  expending 
about  $44,000. 

Our  cause  was  helped  at  this  time  by  the  ex- 
treme pro-slavery  action  of  the  Southern  conferences, 
showing  that  they  fully  indorsed  the  chief  sin  of  the 
nation.  Many  Northern  men  who  had  pitied  them 
with  the  understanding  that  they  were  opposed  to 
slavery,  and  were  only  connected  with  it  because 
they  could  not  avoid  it,  lost  all  patience  with  them 
and  took  sides  with  abolitionists. 

The  controversy  developed  little  that  was  new 
in  1839.  Bishops  and  presiding  elders  had  begun  to 
see  that  it  was  not  good  policy  to  press  the  high 
prerogatives  which  had  been  accorded  to  them. 
Mr.  Garrison  and  his  intimate  associates,  composed 
largely  of  Quakers,  infidels,  and  other  enemies  of 
orthodoxy,  utterly  maddened  by  national  and  Church 
pro-slavery  action,  began  to  denounce  all  denomina- 
tions with  more  violence  than  their  Christian  coadju- 
tors deemed  expedient.  They  also  brought  their 
"  woman's  rights  "and  Quakerish  peculiarities  into  the 
meetings,  and  objected  to  opening  by  prayer  unless 
somebody  was  moved  to  do  it  without  being  invited. 
The  Methodist  Church  was  -especially  characterized 
as  a  nest  of  unclean  birds,  and  a  "brotherhood  of 
thieves."  Xo  religious  man  would  consent  to  listen 
to  such  unmeasured  abuse,  and  the  New  England 
Conference   Antislavery   Society   discarded   them   by 


450  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

formal  vote.  They  finally  succeeded  in  driving  off 
Church  people  generally,  who  organized  other  socie- 
ties, to  be  conducted  on  Christian  principles. 

We  refer  to  this  as  a  matter  of  history,  and  not 
to  disparage  any  one,  especially  Mr.  Garrison,  whom 
we  always  regarded  as  a  very  sincere  man,  of  much 
force  of  character.  '  However  we  differed  with  him 
at  the  time,  it  was  all  buried  and  forgotten  in  the 
noble  stand  he  took  during  the  Rebellion  and 
afterward. 

SECESSIONAL  INDICATIONS. 

At  the  opening  of  the  year  1840  a  new  anti- 
slavery  paper  appeared  in  Lowell,  Massachusetts, 
edited  by  Revs.  J.  Horton  and  O.  Scott,  called  The 
American  Wesleyan  Observer.  Its  ostensible  object 
was  to  publish  the  doings  of  the  approaching  General 
Conference,  and  it  proposed  to  continue  but  six 
months.  But  its  principal  design  was,  probably,  to 
discuss  questions  of  Church  polity,  growing  out  of 
the  antislavery  controversy,  in  a  more  radical  manner 
than  would  be  allowed  in  Ziori ' $  Herald.  Its  course 
soon  alienated  man}*  of  its  early  friends,  and  left  it 
to  be  supported  by  those  who  preferred  secession  to 
continued  connection  with  a  Church  hopelessly  in- 
volved in  slavery. 

Legacies  of  slaves  to  Churches  and  other  Christian 
institutions  being  reported  about  that  time,  brought 
up  the  question  whether  we  could  innocently  co- 
operate with  slave-holders  in  our  denominational 
benevolences,  as  we  had  done.  Mr.  Scott  and  some 
others  thought  not,  and  proposed  the  formation  of  a 
separate  Missionary  Society,  to  be  managed  by  our- 


ABOLITION    MOVEMENTS.  45  I 

selves.  The  writer  and  others  opposed  the  measure, 
as  necessarily  leading  to  secession  and  a  new  Church. 
But  Mr.  Scott  was  no  policy  man.  He  followed  his 
own  judgment,  irrespective  of  the  opinions  of  his  best 
friends.  Accordingly,  he  brought  the  subject  before 
the  Antislavery  Society  at  the  Lowell  Conference  of 
1840,  but  failed  to  get  the  measure  indorsed.  This 
alienated  him  from  many  of  his  brethren,  and  he  pro- 
jected a  convention,  to  be  held  in  New  York  the 
ensuing  October,  where  he  also  failed  of  his  object. 
He  then  called  the  friends  of  the  movement  together, 
and  carried  it  into  effect ;  but  it  accomplished  very 
little,  except  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  secession, 
which  was  fast  approaching. 

We  can  not  even  name  all  the  exciting  issues  of 
this  period.  Slavery  was  slowly  losing  its  power  in 
Congress.  Johnson's  gag  law  passed  by  a  majority 
of  only  six,  whereas  Pinckney's  passed  four  years 
before  by  a  majority  of  fifty-eight.  The  Birney  and 
Tappan  wing  of  the  American  and  Massachusetts 
Societies  were  leaning  more  toward  political  action. 
All  these  things  operated  to  produce  caution,  and 
imposed  upon  loyal  Methodists  the  tax  of  defending 
themselves  against  the  assaults  of  leading  abolitionists, 
as  well  as  against  slave-holders  and  their  apologists. 

GENERAL  CONFERENXE  OF   I  84O. 

The  General  Conference  of  1840  met  at  Balti- 
'more,  and  indorsed  the  administration  of  the  bishops, 
though  it  had  been  diverse — putting  motions  on  the 
vexed  question  in  the  South,  and  refusing  to  do  so 
elsewhere.  But  Rev.  S.  Comfort,  a  Northern  man, 
must  needs  appeal   from  a  decision  of  the  Missouri 


452  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

Conference,  which  condemned  his  administration  in 
allowing-  the  testimony  of  a  negro  against  a  white 
man  in  a  Church  trial.  The  case  was  duly  argued, 
and  the  appeal  was  sustained,  virtually  saying  that 
he  did  right.  This  was  a  bombshell  in  the  camp  of 
the  majority,  and  they  threatened  a  division  of  the 
Church,  as  usual.  But  after  brooding  over  the  sub- 
ject for  nearly  two  weeks,  Dr.  Ignatius  A.  Few 
offered  the  following  soothing  resolution,  which  was 
adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  it  is  inexpedient  and  unjustifiable 
for  any  preacher  among  us  to  permit  colored  persons 
to  give  testimony  against  white  persons  in  any  State 
where  they  are  denied  that  privilege  in  trials  at  law." 

Seeing  the  injurious  effect  which  this  resolution 
would  produce  in  the  North,  great  efforts  were  made 
to  reconsider  it;  but  the  South  would  not  consent. 
So,  an  attempt  was  made  to  neutralize  it  by  another; 
but  it  was  too  late — the  mischief  had  been  done. 

SECESSION   COMPLETED,    AND  ITS  EARLY  EFFECTS. 

Mr.  Scott  was  discouraged.  The  new  doctrine  of 
episcopal,  authority  disaffected  many  with  our  govern- 
ment, and  some  left  quietly  and  went  to  other 
Churches.  Not  a  few  held  on,  moaning,  "There  is 
no  hope."  In  the  mean  time,  the  Garrisonians  de- 
nounced us,  and  called  upon  our  members  to  come 
out  of  the  Church,  and  be  separate.  November  8, 
1842,  it  was  reported  that  Rev.  Jotham  Horton, 
Orange  Scott,  and  La  Roy  Sunderland,  had  with- 
drawn, and  were  about  to  start  a  new  Church. 
Another  paper  soon  appeared,  called  The  True 
Wesleyan,   developing    the   grand    scheme,    declaring 


ABOLITION  MOVEMENTS.  453 

Methodist  abolition  to  be  dead,  and  calling  upon  all 
true  abolitionists  to  rally  to  the  new  standard. 

To  show  that  we  were  still  alive,  an  antislavery 
convention  was  held  at  Bromfield  Street,  Boston, 
January  18,  1843,  which  denounced  slavery  in  regular 
orthodox  terms;  but,  at  the  same  time,  contrary  to 
the  intentions  of  the  movers  in  it,  it  avowed  some  of 
the  cardinal  sentiments  of  the  seceders.  Mr.  Scott 
was  delighted,  and  The  Christian  Advocate  made  it 
the  occasion  of  another  outpouring  upon  abolitionists. 
The  movers  were  mortified,  and  lost  nearly  all  faith 
in  man.  But  the  convention  did  good  by  reassuring 
the  people  that  there  was  no  abatement  of  our  anti- 
slavery  zeal. 

This  gave  a  new  aspect  to  the  controversy.  Till 
near  this  time,  the  question  of  an  antislavery  seces- 
sion had  not  been  openly  debated.  An  intention  to 
secede  had  been  charged  upon  the  party,  but  had 
been  unequivocally  denied,  except,  perhaps,  by  a 
few,  who  spake  with  less  apparent  concern  about  an 
event  of  that  nature.  "They  could  not  tell  what 
would  take  place,  but  they  had  not  determined  on 
any  such  step  as  yet."  But,  after  a  while,  they  be- 
gan to  teach  the  sinfulness  of  maintaining  Church  re- 
lations with  a  denomination  which  countenanced 
slavery ;  that  there  was  no  hope  of  reforming  the 
Church  ;  and  to  give  other  unmistakable  intimations 
of  alienation  and  radical  intentions.  But  here  they 
were  met.  Those  who  had  been  with  them  in  the 
heat  of  the  battle,  loved  the  Church,  notwithstanding 
her  tardiness,  and  would  not  cherish  the  thought  of 
dissolving  their  connection  with  her.  Nor  would 
they  allow   the   party  they   had   co-operated  with  in 


454  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

good  faith  for  the  extinction  of  slavery  to  run  off,  or 
bring  in  divisional  questions,  without  resistance. 

Thus,  the  antislavery  ranks  became  much  divided, 
on  these  and  collateral  questions,  into  loyal  and  rad- 
ical parties,  both  of  which  contended  earnestly  for 
their  respective  views  and  modes  of  operation.  But 
the  wheels  of  the  radicals  dragged  heavily.  The  new 
issue,  which  they  were  endeavoring  to  make,  and  the 
project  they  had  evidently  undertaken,  depreciated 
their  influence  among  their  antislavery  friends,  and 
left  them  little  hope  of  regaining  their  former  stand- 
ing in  the  conference ;  whereupon,  the  leading  spirits 
seemed  to  adjust  themselves  to  their  unfortunate  con- 
dition, and  watch  the  developments  of  time. 

From  this  time  Zioii  s  Herald  was  full}'  open  to 
the  new  issues,  and  did  good  service.  Church  offi- 
cials became  quite  conciliatory,  and  annual  and  quar- 
terly conferences  were  allowed  to  say  about  what 
they  pleased,  while  many  who  had  stood  aloof 
dropped  into  line  to  oppose  secession,  if  not  slavery. 
Mr.  Scott  worked  hard,  and  died  too  soon  for  so 
able  a  man.  Mr.  Sunderland  went  into  Mesmerism, 
repudiating  most  of  his  Methodistic  views  ;  and  Mr. 
Horton,  with  many  others,  returned  to  the  Church. 
The  secession  was  a  sad  affair,  and  caused  many  evils; 
and  yet  it  now  seems  to  have  been  almost  necessary 
to  the  grand  consummation  of  liberty  to  the  captives. 

We  speak  of  these  circumstances  with  painful 
recollections.  These  men  were  our  friends  and  elder 
brethren.  We  stood  with  them  in  the  very  heat  of 
the  conflict,  and  loved  them  as  our  own  life.  They 
were  good  men  and  strong ;  they  meant  right,  and 
they  did  right  in  many  particulars.     But  they  thought 


ABOLITION   MOVEMENTS.  455 

themselves  injured,  and  it  grieved  them  to  the  heart — 
perhaps  enraged  them — and  they  could  not  endure 
it.  That  others  would  have  done  better  in  their  sit- 
uation is  not  certain.  The  movement  was,  to  some 
extent,  successful.  Several  preachers,  with  a  consid- 
erable number  of  lay  members,  withdrew,  and  united 
in  the  formation  of  a  new  Church,  which  they 
were  pleased  to  christen  "The  Wesleyan  Methodist 
Church."  The  loss  of  numbers  and  influence  to  us, 
though  considerable,  was  not  the  greatest  evil  con- 
nected with  the  affair.  The  bitter  discussions,  and 
the  division  of  young  and  feeble  societies,  unavoidably 
connected  with  the  outbreak,  were  most  to  be  depre- 
cated. However,  the  contest  was  carried  on  with  as 
little  asperity,  and  with  as  few  evil  consequences,  as 
could  have  been  expected,  every  thing  considered. 
The  lines  of  demarkation  were  soon  drawn,  and  the 
controversy  passed  away  to  swell  the  history  of  hu- 
man infirmities. 

The  Wesleyans  took  high  ground  against  slavery, 
eschewing  all  bishops  and  presiding  elders,  supplying 
their  places  by  presidents  of  conferences,  stationing 
committees,  and  chairmen  of  districts.  In  doctrine, 
and  in  most  other  respects,  they  have  adhered  pretty 
closely  to  their  old  principles.  They  have  a  Book 
Concern  in  Syracuse,  New  York,  a  missionary  so- 
ciety, and  the  other  et  ccetera  usually  connected  with 
such  establishments.  Many  who  left  the  Church,  at 
first,  have  returned,  not  having  succeeded  in  the  new 
enterprise  as  they  anticipated.  It  is  their  opinion 
that  the  old  Church  is  the  least  objectionable,  espe- 
cially since  the  separation  of  the  South  ;  but  some 
are  of  a  different  opinion,     The  American  Wesleyan 


456  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Methodists,   which   is   their    proper   title,   claim    250 
traveling  preachers,  and  20,000  members. 

THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF    1 844. 

This  body  met  in  Greene  Street  Church,  in  the 
city  of  New  York,  under  peculiar  circumstances. 
The  Southern  conferences  were  growing  more  and 
more  sensitive  and  exacting  with  regard  to  slavery, 
and  the  Northern  and  Eastern  conferences  were  in  a 
state  of  revolution,  some  having  already  seceded,  and 
others  inclined  to  follow  »them  should  there  be  no 
change  in  the  temper  of  the  General  Conference 
toward  them.  The  body  was  divided  into  three 
classes,  consisting  of  about  fifty-six  delegates,  who 
were  ready  to  indorse  and  defend  slavery  as  it  existed 
in  the  South;  thirty  who  would  condemn  and  cripple 
it  by  all  reasonable  means ;  and  some  eighty-five  who 
wished  to  maintain  the  long-established  Discipline 
and  usages  of  the  Church  on  the  subject.  Agitation 
was  inevitable. 

In  the  first  place,  there  was  an  appeal  from  the 
decision  of  the  Baltimore  Conference,  by  Francis  A. 
Harding,  implicating  him  on  account  of  his  connec- 
tion with  slavery.  The  Southern  delegates  rallied  to 
his  support,  and  the  case  was  ably  argued  by  Rev. 
William  A.  Smith,  of  Virginia,  for  the  appellant, 
and  Rev.  John  A.  Collins  for  the  conference,  and 
decided  in  favor  of  the  conference  and  against  slavery 
by  a  vote  of  one  hundred  and  seventeen  to  fifty-six. 
This  was  an  important  step  in  the  right  direction. 

Next  came  the  case  of  Bishop  Andrew,  who  had 
become  slightly  connected  with  the  "great  evil" 
by   marriage.     This,    too,    was    long   and   eloquently 


ABOLITION  MOVEMENTS,  457 

argued,  almost  entirely  by  Southern  and  middle 
men,  and  it  was  decided  ''that  he  desist  from  the 
exercise  of  his  office  so  long  as  this  impediment 
remains."  This  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  one 
hundred  and  ten  to  sixty-eight,  and  was  another 
right   step   in   compliance  with  antislavery  petitions. 

The  third  great  point  specifically  deprecated, 
related  to  the  Few  resolution,  passed  in  1840,  pro- 
nouncing it  "unjustifiable  for  any  preacher  among 
us  to  permit  colored  persons  to  give  testimony 
against  white  persons,"  etc.  It  was  asked  that  this 
be  rescinded,  which,  after  another  struggle,  was 
done  by  a  vote  of  one  hundred  and  fifteen  to  forty 
against  it. 

These  and  other  matters  held  the  conference  in 
session  some  six  weeks,  during  which  time  the  abo- 
litionists were  treated  to  many  hard  speeches,  partic- 
ularly from  the  South ;  but  they  were  abused  by  no 
formal  action  of  the  body,  and  kept  their  temper. 

The  Southern  delegates  were  greatly  offended, 
and  asked  to  be  set  off  into  a  separate  Church, 
which  the  conference  had  no  power  to  do.  They 
finally  obtained  the  passage  of  a  paper,  reported  by 
the  committee  of  "nine,"  designed  to  meet  an  emer- 
gency which  they  feared  would  take  place  on  their 
return  home,  and  improperly  called  since  the  "Plan 
of  Separation."  Assuming  to  act  on  this  paper,  the 
Southern  conferences  separated,  in  1845,  an<^  organ- 
ized the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South,  taking 
with  them  most  of  the  slave-holding  States,  embracing 
nearly  500,000  members  and  a  corresponding  num- 
ber of  preachers,  and  obtained  afterward  by  law  their 
pro  rata  proportion  of  our  connectional  property. 

39 


458  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

This  was  justly  regarded  by  politicians,  at  the 
time,  as  the  entering  wedge  to  the  dissolution  of  the 
Union,  which  had  long  been  sought  by  John  C.  Cal- 
houn and  other  extremists  of  the  South.  The  'Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  having  a  powerful  influence 
in  the  South  and  a  highly  conservative  element  in 
the  North,  had  held  the  nation  together  for  many 
years,  giving  herself  and  others  an  opportunity  to 
Christianize  the  slaves  and  prepare  them  for  freedom, 
and  to  abolitionize  the  North — to  be  ready  to  resist 
the  mad  scheme  of  dissolution  when  it  should  be 
undertaken,  and  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives. 
Thus,  by  fidelity  to  principle,  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  sacrificed  more  than  one-third  of  its  ter- 
ritory, membership,  and  property,  while  most  other 
Churches  sacrificed  nothing  comparatively,  having 
no  organic  connection  with  the  slave-holding  States. 
We  say  this,  not  to  blame  them,  but  to  show  the 
different  circumstances  in  which  Northern  Method- 
ists were  placed,  and  the  objects  they  unconsciously 
served  in  preparing  the  way  for  the  inevitable  re- 
bellion. 

THE    SEPARATION    OF   THE    SOUTH    OPPOSED. 

The  General  Conference  having  adjourned,  the 
annual  conferences  commenced  to  hold  their  ses- 
sions, beginning  with  the  New  York  Conference, 
two  days  after.  The  paper  adopted  by  the  General 
Conference,  before  mentioned,  had  to  be  submitted 
to  the  annual  conferences  for  confirmation,  with  re- 
gard to  the  alteration  of  the  sixth  restrictive  rule  of 
the  Discipline,  providing  for  a  division  of  the  prop- 
erty  of   the   Book   Concern  with   the   South,   should 


ABOLITION  MOVEMENTS.  459 

they  separate,  as  they  might  be  forced  by  public 
feeling  to  do.  The  New  York  Conference  gave  its 
approval  at  once,  and  the  others  would  ~ probably 
have  done  the  same,  but  for  the  intervention  of  Dr. 
Elliott,  editor  of  the  Western  Christian  Advocate,  and 
other  distinguished  loyalists  to  the  Church,  who  as- 
sailed the  action  of  the  General  Conference  in  the 
premises,  and  took  strong  ground  against  the  altera- 
tion of  the  rule,  so  as  to  defeat  the  project  of  sepa- 
ration; and  they  succeeded  in  defeating  the  change 
of  the  rule,  but  not  the  separation,  and  thus  entailed 
on  the  Church  a  disgraceful  and  expensive  lawsuit, 
which  cost  the  Book  Concern  a  good  share  of  its 
property. 

Some  of  them  went  further  than  this,  and  de- 
clared great  love  to  the  Southern  brethren,  and 
assured  them  that  abolitionism  was  dying  out  and 
would  not  be  likely  to  trouble  them  any  more, 
and  they  had  better  hold  fast  to  the  Church;  but 
abolitionists  were  not  pleased  with  this  policy,  first, 
because  it  was  false  in  its  statements;  and,  secondly, 
they  were  satisfied  that  a  separation  of  some  sort 
must  take  place,  and  they  preferred  that  the  South 
should  leave  rather  than  secede  themselves.  One  of 
them,  therefore,  wrote  an  article  called  "Things  as 
They  Are,"  which  was  published  in  Ziori s  Herald, 
with  a  considerable  number  of  signatures,  giving  all 
parties  to  understand  that  abolition  was  in  full  force. 
This  touched  Dr.  Elliott  in  a  tender  place,  and  he 
fell  upon  the  writer  with  great  violence,  but  refused 
to  allow  him  to  reply  in  his  paper  to  the  extent  of 
one  word,  an  injustice  which  he  afterward  confessed 
privately;  but  the  South  made  good  use  of  the  article, 


460  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

believing-  it  to  be  true,  as  it  really  was,  and  it  helped 
them  to  carry  out  their  project  of  independency. 
(See  Quarterly  Review  for  April,   1871,  pp.  234-250.) 

OTHER  GENERAL  CONFERENCES. 

Our  next  opportunity  to  express  a  sentiment  on 
the  subject  officially,  occurred  at  the  General  Con- 
ference, in  1848,  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  Dr. 
Lovick  Pierce,  a  gentleman  of  unquestionable  piety 
and  ability,  appeared  there  as  a  delegate  from  the 
Church  South,  asking  for  fraternization.  This  was  a 
dangerous  point,  but  was  passed  without  damage. 
The  conference  declined  the  overture,  and  no  frater- 
nal intercourse  was  authorized  during  the  existence 
of  slavery.  It  would  have  been  suicidal  for  the 
North  to  have  entered  into  any  such  alliance.  The 
General  Conference  at  Boston,  in  1852,  did  little 
more  on  the  subject  than  to  receive  and  refer  peti- 
tions. There  was,  however,  an  exciting  scene  near 
the  close  of  the  session,  growing  out  of  some  loving 
remarks,  hopefully  anticipating  a  reunion  with  the 
South.  It  created  a  momentary  storm,  and  gave 
abolitionists  to  see  that  their  work  was  not  done, 
and  inspired  them  for  the  successful  contest  of  1856. 
We  call  it  successful,  because  the  subject  had  a  fair 
consideration  and  the  conference  adopted  antislavery 
measures,  though  it  failed  to  exclude  slavery  in  all 
its  parts  from  the  Church  by  changing  the  General 
Rule.     This  was,  however,  done  in  1864. 

ERRORS    AND    SINS    OVERRULED    BY    PROVIDENCE. 

In  looking  at  this  long-continued  controversy,  we 
find   it   every-where  marked   by  human  infirmity,   to 


ABOLITION  MOVEMENTS.  46 1 

say  the  least  of  it.  We  are  not  much  disposed 
to  sit  in  judgment  on  the  parties  involved.  None 
of  them  can  take  great  credit  to  themselves.  If 
abolitionists  had  been  brought  up  in  the  South,  they 
would  probably  have  acted  much  as  Southerners  did, 
and  vice  versa;  but  it  is  pleasant  to  see  that  even 
our  most  exceptionable  conduct  was  overruled  by 
an  all-wise  Providence  to  promote  emancipation. 
Southern  Methodists  regarded  their  separation  from 
the  Church  as  a  wonderful  achievement  in  favor 
of  peace  and  the  perpetuity  of  slavery.  Southern 
politicians  considered  their  various  triumphs  in  Con- 
gress in  passing  gag-laws,  breaking  down  the  Mis- 
souri Compromise,  annexing  Texas,  and  enforcing 
the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  as  so  many  strong  supports 
to  their  "peculiar  institution;"  and  yet  they  all  con- 
tributed to  destroy  it.  So  of  the  objectionable  en- 
actments of  the  Southern  and  General  Conferences. 
Every  one  of  them  operated  to  undermine  the  very 
thing  they  were  intended  to  conserve  and  perpetuate. 
But  nobody  understood  their  bearings  at  the  time, 
and  it  is  well  they  did  not.  Abolitionists  did  not 
kill  slavery.  That  was  done  by  slave-holders,  their 
apologists  and  defenders.  Slavery  was  unfortunately 
intrenched  in  the  government  and  feeling  of  the  coun- 
try; and,  had  its  special  guardians  been  content  with 
the  many  advantages  they  enjoyed  over  the  free 
States,  they  might  have  perpetuated  it  and  ruled 
the  country  as  they  did  when  they  had  Congress 
and  the  courts  in  their  own  hands.  It  was  their 
grasping  after  more  territory,  and  undertaking  to 
"marshal  their  slaves  at  the  foot  of  Bunker  Hill," 
so   to   speak,    that   ruined   them.     They   were   deter- 


462  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

mined  to  be  recognized,  and  have  the  free  run  of  all 
the  States  and  territories,  unmolested  by  abolition- 
ists; hence,  they  imperiously  called  upon  Northern 
legislatures  to  make  laws  to  gag  their  own  constitu- 
ents and  deliver  them  over  to  the  tender  mercies  of 
the  slave-power. 

We  were  present  when  they  were  hunting  Burns, 
and  had  a  chain  around  Boston  Court-house  to 
protect  their  claims.  The  insult  offered  to  that  city 
was  deeply  felt,  and  might  easily  enough  have  de- 
veloped into  a  mob;  but  abolitionists  said,  "No, 
this  will  do  good;"  and  it  did.  It  inspired  the 
prompt  response  of  New  England  to  the  subsequent 
call  for  soldiers  to  put  down  the  Rebellion,  to  say 
nothing  more.  It  is  strange  that  oppressors  can  not 
learn  that  there  is  a  limit  to  human  endurance. 

While  we  claim  little  credit  for  any  class  of  men  in 
freeing  the  nation  from  this  foul  blot,  believing  that 
God  largely  controlled  them  all,  and  turned  their 
sins  and  blunders  to  good  account,  we  can  not  con- 
ceal the  conviction  that  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  exerted  a  powerful  influence  in  favor  of  the 
grand  achievement.  A  few  particulars  bearing  upon 
this  point  will  close  the  discussion. 

PRELIMINARY    STATEMENTS. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  the  same  year  the  May- 
flozver  landed  at  Plymouth  (A.  D.  1620)  a  Dutch 
ship  sailed  into  the  James  River  with  twenty  African 
slaves,  thus  giving  slavery  and  liberty  an  even  start 
in  the  country.  When  Methodism  sung  its  first 
hymn  on  these  shores,  A.  D.  1766,  slavery  was 
one  hundred  and  forty-six   years  old,  and  numbered 


AB  OUT  ION  MO  VEMENTS.  46  3 

about  five  hundred  thousand  African  subjects.  With 
its  first  utterances  Methodism  denounced  holding 
human  beings  as  property  a  great  sin,  to  be  avoided. 
Going  South,  it  rebuked  the  masters  and  sympathized 
with  the  slaves,  and  was  early  mobbed  for  both. 
Being  especially  intent  on  saving  men  of  all  classes 
and  conditions,  it  urged  masters  and  servants  to 
repent  and  come  to  Christ.  Many  did  so.  But 
when  slave-holders  became  alarmed,  and  preferred  no 
preaching  to  an  antislavery  Gospel,  and  the  preachers 
saw  that  they  must  deal  more  tenderly  with  the 
subject  or  be  forbidden  to  preach  to  the  slaves,  they 
modified  their  course  so  as  to  retain  their  position, 
and  do  what  they  could  for  all  parties. 

It  is  also  important  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  the 
slaves  at  that  time  were  in  the  most  degraded  condi- 
tion, having  lately  been  stolen  from  the  wilds  of 
Africa.  It  was  cheaper  to  keep  up  the  supply  in 
this  way  than  by  "raising"  them,  and  this  policy 
prevailed  until  1808,  when  the  African  slave-trade 
was  legally  (not  practically)  abolished.  Slaves  were 
regarded  by  their  owners  as  property,  like  horses, 
and  treated  with  less  consideration,  and  herded  to- 
gether promiscuously,  more  like  beasts  than  human 
beings.  This  view  of  their  condition  is  fully  con- 
firmed by  ample  testimony  from  both  friends  and 
foes  of  the  race. 

EFFORTS    TO    CHRISTIANIZE   THE    SLAVES. 

How  the  labors  of  our  Church  to  Christianize  and 
civilize  the  slaves  succeeded,  may  be  inferred  from 
the  minutes  of  the  conferences,  which  began  to 
report    colored    members   separately   in    1786.      The 


464  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

first  report  showed  their  number  to  be  1,890.  In 
1793  they  had  increased  to  16,227,  and  amounted  to 
more  than  one-quarter  of  our  entire  membership. 
In  1824  they  were  reported  at  48,096,  and  in  1845, 
the  last  report  made  to  our  Church  from  the  South, 
they  numbered  150,120,  nearly  one-seventh  of  our 
entire  Church.  The  next  year  the  minutes  show 
but  30,515  colored  members,  indicating  that  nearly 
119,605  of  those  reported  the  year  before  were 
slaves,  and  had  separated  from  us  with  the  Church 
South. 

This  work  had  been  carried  on  for  fifty  years  by 
the  regular  ministers,  and  our  colored  members  had 
come  to  number  nearly  forty  thousand  before  our 
Missionary  Society  was  formed,  in  18 19,  when  the 
Church  commenced  to  send  missionaries  among  the 
slaves.  Our  missionary  collections  had  averaged,  sev- 
eral years  before  the  separation,  from  $132,000  to 
$146,000  per  annum,  from  which  liberal  appropria- 
tions had  been  made  for  the  conversion  and  elevation 
of  the  slaves. 

Thus  our  Church  was  long  at  work  preparing  the 
slaves  for  freedom  before  modern  abolitionism  was 
born,  and  it  continued  in  it  with  increasing  activity  till 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  collecting  and 
expending  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  for  their 
special  benefit. 

OTHER    IMPORTANT   FACTS. 

Let  us  look  at  the  subject  in  another  of  its  as- 
pects. The  territorial  laws  of  Indiana  were  largely 
in  sympathy  with  slavery  and  the  South.  When 
Illinois   was   set    off,    it    carried   these   offensive   laws 


ABOLITION  MOVEMENTS.  465 

with  it,  and  it  required  much  effort  to  get  them  re- 
pealed, and  better  ones  enacted.  In  18 18  it  adopted 
a  constitution  excluding  slavery.  But  when  Missouri 
was  admitted  a  slave  State,  two  years  after,  a  plot 
was  formed  to  change  the  Constitution  of  Illinois, 
and  make  that  also  a  slave  State.  The  measure  was 
carried  through  the  Legislature,  by  dint  of  rascality 
and  rowdyism,  so  far  as  to  approve  of  a  convention 
for  the  purpose;  but  when  it  came  to  go  before  the 
people,  it  was  defeated  by  more  than  two  thousand 
votes.  Methodist  preachers  were  every-where,  as 
usual,  and  took  strong  ground  against  the  change, 
stumping  the  State  as  ministers  and  Christian  politi- 
cians, and  visiting  from  house  to  house,  creating 
public  sentiment  against  the  measure.  Some  of 
them  fared  hard,  being  shamefully  abused;  but  they 
fought  bravely,  and  had  the  credit  of  saving  the 
State  to  liberty. 

Similar  attempts  were  made  in  California  and 
Kansas;  but  our  preachers  were  in  these  territo- 
ries also,  with  true  Wesleyan  hostility  to  the  ex- 
tension of  the  "great  evil,"  and  bravely  entered  the 
political  arena  with  might  and  main,  and  triumphed. 
We  have  not  room  for  the  particulars,  which  would 
more  than  confirm  these  statements.  The  country 
owes  it  to  John  Wesley  and  his  followers  that  slav- 
ery was  not  in  the  ascendant  in  this  country  long 
ago.  Following  the  early  settlers  in  our  Western 
territories,  with  Mr.  Wesley's  burning  "Thoughts 
on  Slavery"  in  their  saddle-bags,  for  sale,  Methodist 
preachers  created  a  public  sentiment  against  the 
abomination  that  could  not  be  overcome,  and  gave 
freedom  to  the  new  States. 


466  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

When  a  few  Quakers  and  others  began  to  breathe 
aloud  against  slavery,  in  1828,  they  were  promptly 
greeted  by  a  certain  part  of  the  Church  as  fellow- 
laborers.  Northern  Methodists  did  a  great  work  in 
creating  a  public  conscience  on  the  subject,  that 
should  demand  the  liberation  of  the  slaves  in  the 
coming  emergency,  and  fight  out  the  Rebellion  "on 
this  line." 

Again,  the  slaves  coming  to  this  country  from 
pagan  Africa,  where  they  ran  naked  and  wild,  it  is 
not  wonderful  that  they  were  accounted  an  inferior 
race,  forming  a  connecting  link  between  men  and 
monkeys.  Had  nothing  been  done  to  elevate  them, 
this  error  would  have  been  current  to-day.  But, 
giving  them  the  Gospel,  they  opened  their  eyes  to 
a  new  life,  and  assumed  the  decencies  of  civilization. 
Many  of  them  manifested  intellect,  genius,  and  moral 
excellence  that  were  remarkable.  They  became 
teachers,  preachers,  and  especially  exemplars  of  Gos- 
pel purity.  The  hero  of  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin," 
whom  we  had  the  pleasure  of  entertaining  before  he 
became  so  famous,  and  regarded  as  a  grand  specimen 
of  nobility,  was  only  one  among  hundreds  of  his 
class.  Then,  there  were  multitudes  of  others,  equally 
good,  who  let  their  light  shine  wherever  they  went, 
proving  the  falsity  of  the  notion  that  Africans  are 
inferior  to  white  people,  and  the  wickedness  of  treat- 
ing them  as  property.  Many  a  slave-holder  has  felt 
ashamed  of  himself  when  he  witnessed  their  Christian 
deportment,  and  thought  of  his  relation  to  them. 
Such  specimens  of  good  character  have  been  a  stand- 
ing rebuke  to  the  system  and  to  the  Government 
which  has  fostered  it.      And  they  were  developed  by 


ABOLITION  MOVEMENTS.  467 

the  process  of  Christianization  to  which  we  have 
referred,  in  which  many  outside  abolitionists  took  no 
part  whatever. 

Another  fact  to  be  taken  into  account  is,  that  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  has  published  more 
antislavery  books  and  tracts  than  any  other  denom- 
ination, or  any  general  publishing-  house  in  the 
country,  having  begun  the  work  long  before  the 
modern  agitation  of  the  question  commenced,  in  the 
issue  of  Wesley's  "Thoughts  on  Slavery."  There 
has  never  been  a  day  since  1780  when  these  senti- 
ments have  not  been  ringing  out  from  the  Methodist 
press,  in  all  the  States,  North  and  South. 

The  action  of  our  Church  in  this  country  is  strik- 
ingly analogous  to  that  of  the  Wesleyans  of  England. 
A  slave-holder  in  the  West  Indies,  visiting  London 
with  one  or  two  of  his  servants,  heard  Mr.  Wesley 
preach,  and  became  converted.  Returning  home,  he 
carried  the  new  religion  with  him,  and  proclaimed  it 
to  his  neighbors  and  friends,  as  before  stated.  This 
was  the  mustard-seed  from  which  the  great  tree  of 
Methodism  among  the  slaves  proceeded.  At  length, 
missionaries  were  sent  out,  and  the  work  of  lifting  up 
that  degraded  population  to  the  dignity  of  Christian 
civilization  was  carried  on  slowly  but  surely.  The 
missionaries  saw  the  terrible  injustice  done  to  the 
poor  creatures,  but  could  do  or  say  little  to  relieve 
them.  But  the  people  at  home  were  active,  and 
pressed  hard  for  emancipation.  Thus,  while  the  mis- 
sionaries were  preparing  the  slaves  to  enjoy  liberty, 
the  Churches  at  home  were  moving  upon  Parliament 
to  grant  it.  There,  as  here,  one  part  of  the  Church 
went  before  to  prepare  the  slaves   for   freedom,  and 


468  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

another  class  remained  at  home  to  procure  freedom 
for  them.  And  God  blessed  the  efforts  of  both,  and 
emancipation  was  proclaimed,  to  the  joy  of  earth  and 
heaven,  and  has  proved  a  benediction  to  all  parties. 

THE   MORAL    INFLUENCE  OF  CONFLICTING  AGENCIES. 

How  little  any  of  us  knew  in  the  antislavery  con- 
test what  we  were  doing !  The  conversion  of  the 
North  to  abolition  sentiments,  and  the  civilization  of 
the  slaves,  were  indispensable.  Both  required  time 
to  achieve  them.  Had  the  Rebellion  come  much  be- 
fore it  did,  the  slaves  would  not  have  been  in  condi- 
tion to  enjoy  freedom,  nor  the  North  in  any  state  of 
mind  to  proclaim  emancipation,  and  enforce  it.  All 
parties,  therefore,  had  a  little  share  in  the  work. 
Outside,  abolitionists  helped  to  create  the  necessary 
public  sentiment  in  the  North,  in  common  with 
Methodists  and  other  Christians ;  but  they  did  noth- 
ing to  elevate  the  slaves.  Methodists,  abolitionists, 
and  some  few  others,  prepared  the  slaves  for  liberty 
in  connection  with  the  conservatives,  who  furnished 
the  men  to  do  the  work,  as  abolitionists  were  not 
popular  with  the  masters. 

And  this  brings  out  another  point.  The  conserv- 
atives, whom  we  used  to  call  pro-slavery,  much  to 
their  annoyance,  were,  to  the  writer,  incomprehen- 
sible. It  was  a  mystery  how  they  could  do  as  they 
did,  being  so  wise  and  excellent  in  other  respects. 
Nor  could  we  see  what  possible  good  could  come  of 
their  tenderness  to  slave-holders,  and  bitterness  to- 
ward abolitionists.  But  now  that  Providence  has 
lifted  the  veil,  it  is  all  plain  enough,  though  not 
morally    right    or    consistent.      By    apologizing    for 


ABOLITION  MOVEMENTS.  469 

slavery  and  flattering  the  South,  they  kept  off  the 
Rebellion  for  many  years,  and  gave  time  to  complete 
the  education  that  was  going  on  at  both  ends  of  the 
line ;  namely,  among  the  slaves  in  the  South,  and  the 
Churches  and  politicians  in  the  North.  So  that,  in 
God's  Providence,  they  were  unconsciously  aiding  the 
coming  deliverance,  though  it  was  impossible  to  see 
it  at  the  time. 

Had  the  Rebellion  come  several  years  sooner,  it 
would  have  succeeded  for  the  want  of  Northern  sen- 
timent and  feeling  to  resist  it.  Long  as  it  was  de- 
layed, many  people,  and  some  whole  States,  were 
not  ready.  New  England  was  ready,  because  it  had 
become  pretty  thoroughly  abolitionized,  from  its  chief 
magistrates  down  to  its  lowest  citizens.  Mr.  Lincoln 
issued  his  first  proclamation  for  75,000  soldiers  to 
protect  Washington  and  put  down  the  Rebellion, 
April  15,  1 86 1.  On  the  17th,  two  days  after,  the 
Massachusetts  Sixth,  the  first  full  regiment  that  re- 
sponded, started  from  Boston  by  railroad.  Would 
that  city  have  sprung  to  the  front  thirty  years  before, 
when  it  mobbed  abolitionists ;  or,  several  years  later, 
when  it  hunted  fugitives  at  the  beck  of  the  South? 
Not  at  all.  Who  composed  this  death-daring  regi- 
ment? Abolitionists.  New  York,  greatly  improved 
on  this  question  since  1844,  gave  them  an  ovation  as 
they  marched  down  its  grand  Broadway  the  next 
morning. 

But  on  the  19th,  Baltimore,  still  up  to  her  old 
tricks,  mobbed,  stoned,  and  shot  them,  killing  some, 
and  wounding  others,  forbidding  them  to  go  through 
her  streets.  Maryland  was  not  yet  ready.  And 
when  they  escaped  that  den  of  rebels,  and  were  on 


470  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

their  way  to  Washington,  their  train  was  fired  upon 
from  the  hills  and  woods  along  the  line.  Abolition 
Pennsylvania  soldiers  were  treated  in  like  manner, 
and  had  to  fight  their  way  through. 

But,  thank  God,  nearly  all  the  free  States  had 
been  abolitionized,  and  were  in  the  hands  of  Repub- 
lican Governors,  who  were  ready  for  action. 

HOW  THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH   MET  THE 
CONFLICT. 

The  activity  of  our  people  in  this  terrible  emer- 
gency was  noticeable  at  the  time.  Our  denomina- 
tional papers,  without  an  exception,  rallied  to  the 
national  cause.  The  American  flag  waved  from  our 
spires  and  draped  our  pulpits,  during  our  conferences 
and  on  other  public  occasions.  Men  rushed  from  our 
Churches,  colleges,  and  schools,  leaving  some  of  them 
quite  depleted.  The  immortal  Lincoln  often  spoke 
of  it  with  gratitude.  In  response  to  the  address  of 
the  General  Conference  of  1864,  he  said: 

"  Nobly  sustained  as  the  Government  has  been  by 
all  the  Churches,  I  would  utter  nothing  which  might 
in  the  least  appear  invidious  against  any.  Yet,  with- 
out this,  it  may  fairly  be  said  that  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  not  less  devoted  than  the  best,  is, 
by  its  greater  numbers,  the  most  important  of  all.  It 
is  no  fault  in  others  that  the  Methodist  Church  sends 
more  soldiers  to  the  field,  more  nurses  to  the  hos- 
pitals, and  more  prayers  to  heaven,  than  any.  God 
bless  the  Methodist  Church !  God  bless  all  the 
Churches !  Blessed  be  God,  who,  in  this  our  great 
trial,  giveth  us  the  Churches!" 

We  have  recorded  these  thoughts,  not  to  boast — 


ABOLITION  MO  VEMENTS.  47 1 

for  boasting  is  excluded — but  to  give  the  Gospel  and 
the  Church  their  proper  place  among  the  agencies 
which  God  has  employed  to  relieve  our  glorious 
country  from  the  cruel  system  of  inhumanity  which 
was  fastened  upon  it  in  its  infancy  by  foreign  hands, 
and  which  was  wickedly  nursed  by  the  nation  itself  into 
gigantic  proportions  ;  also,  and  particularly,  to  sug- 
gest to  the  coming  historian  that  the  subject  admits 
of  a  deeper,  broader,  and  juster  philosophy  than  ap- 
pears in  the  hurried  productions  of  those  who  claim 
to  have  given  it  a  proper  presentation.  The  names 
of  the  chief  actors  in  the  scenes  have  been  purposely 
omitted,  as  far  as  possible,  as  it  is  no  part  of  our  in- 
tention to  praise  or  blame  any  one. 


472  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    EFFECT   OF   THE    GENERAL    CONFERENCE  OF   1 844 HOW 

OPPOSED ORGANIZATION    OF  THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL 

CHURCH     SOUTH THE     COLORED     METHODIST    EPISCOPAL 

CHURCH GENERAL  CONFERENCE    OF    1 848 DEATH    OF 

BISHOP  HEDDING GENERAL  CONFERENCE    OF    1 85 2 NA- 
TIONAL   MAGAZINE — STATE    OF    THE    CHURCH GENERAL 

CONFERENCE  OF    1 85 6 A   NEW   COURT    PROVIDED   FOR 

A   STEP  TOWARD    RITUALISM. 

THE  effect  of  the  action  of  the  General  Confer- 
ence of  1844  was  what  might  have  been  ex- 
pected. It  neutralized  the  secessional  movement 
among  abolitionists,  being  more  antislavery  than  was 
anticipated.  The  administration  of  the  bishops  that 
followed  was  equally  satisfactory,  no  further  prohibi- 
tion of  conference  action  being  attempted. 

But  when  it  was  seen  that  the  South  was  going  to 
take  advantage  of  the  action  had  in  their  case  and 
organize  another  Church,  many  demurred,  and  threw 
every  possible  obstacle  in  their  way ;  but  it  was  of  no 
use.  They  were  determined  to  go,  and  the  writer 
thought  it  best,  all  things  considered,  and  voted  to 
give  them  their  proportion  of  our  connectional  prop- 
erty, and  urged  others  to  do  the  same,  both  by  pen 
and  speech,  and  has  never  regretted  it  for  one  mo- 
ment. They  left  because  they  did  not  agree  with  the 
Church,  and  have  since  managed  to  suit  themselves. 
If  they  have  been  a  little  tart,  it  is  not  remarkable— 


DIVISION  OF  THE  CHURCH.  473 

they  were  that  before.  And,  considering  the  circum- 
stances, it  required  more  grace  than  falls  to  the  lot 
of  most  men  to  have  been  otherwise. 

The  facts  about  the  separation,  in  few  words, 
are  as  follows:  June  3,  1844,  after  the  action  had  in 
the  case  of  Bishop  Andrew,  Dr.  Capers  presented  a 
paper  to  the  conference,  proposing  arrangements  for 
the  division  of  the  Church  into  two  General  Confer- 
ences, which  was  referred  to  a  committee  of  nine. 
The  committee  regarded  the  proposition  as  prepos- 
terous, there  being  no  provision  in  the  Discipline  for 
such  division,  and  the  project  fell  dead.  Two  days 
after,  Dr.  Longstreet  presented  another  paper,  signed 
by  fifty-one  Southern  delegates,  declaring  that  the 
action  had  in  regard  to  slavery  and  Bishop  Andrew 
"must  produce  a  state  of  things  in  the  South  which 
renders  a  continuance  of  the  jurisdiction  of  this  Gen- 
eral Conference  over  these  conferences  inconsistent 
with  the  success  of  the  ministry  in  the  slave-holding 
States."  This  was  also  referred  to  a  select  committee 
of  nine.  The  next  day  came  a  protest,  declaring 
"the  South  can  not  submit,  and  the  absolute  neces- 
sity of  division  is  already  dated."  Separation  had 
already  been  decreed  by  the  delegates.  The  order 
of  these  proceedings  was  as  follows :  1 .  "  The  de- 
cision in  Mr.  Harding's  case,  May  nth.  2.  The  de- 
cision in  Bishop  Andrew's  case,  May  30th.  3.  Dr. 
Capers's  resolutions  for  the  division  of  the  Church, 
and  their  failure,  June  3d.  4.  The  declaration  of  the 
Southern  delegates,  June  5th.  5.  The  report  of  the 
Committee    of  Nine,  June  8th."     (Great    Secession, 

P-   332.) 

This  report  was  strictly  provisional,  looking  to  the 

40 


474  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

contingency  of  a  separation  df  the  Southern  Confer- 
ences, purely  at  their  own  suggestion  and  on  their 
ozvn  responsibility,  and  without  authority  from  the 
General  Conference ;  for  it  had  already  been  settled 
that  the  General  Conference  possessed  no  authority 
to  divide  the  Church  in  the  manner  proposed.  Here 
the  matter  ended,  so  far  as  the  General  Conference 
was  concerned,  and  the  Southern  Conferences  took 
the  responsibility  of  all  that  followed. 

Or,  to  State  the  case  more  fully,  the  South  said: 
"We  can  not  live  under  these  circumstances;  we  shall 
be  driven  from  our  fields,  and  the  souls  committed 
to  our  care  will  perish.  What  shall  we  do  ?  Sup- 
pose, on  getting  home,  we  should  find  it  indispensa- 
ble to  separate,  how  will  the  General  Conference 
view  us?  How  shall  we  be  treated?  Shall  there  be 
friendly  relations,  and  an  amicable  settlement  of  the 
property  question;  or  shall  we  be  viewed  as  ene- 
mies?" Middle  men  were  anxious  to  accommodate, 
and  Eastern  men  were  fearful  of  the  consequences 
of  not  doing  so ;  for  it  was  already  under  contempla- 
tion to  reconsider  Bishop  Andrew's  case,  and  lay  it 
over  four  years,  agreeably  to  the  recommendation  of 
the  board  of  bishops,  unless  something  conciliatory 
should  be  done.  It  was  an  exciting  moment,  and 
great  men  were  at  their  wits'  end  to  know  what  to  do. 

Finally  the  committee  agreed  upon  a  plan  to 
meet  the  anticipated  emergency,  and  reported  it  to 
the  conference.  It  was  not  all  they  could  wish,  but 
it  was  the  best  they  could  devise,  and  it  was  favora- 
bly received.  Southern  delegates  were  greatly  re- 
lieved, and  submitted  to  the  rescinding  of  Few's 
colored  testimony  resolution,  passed  four  years  before, 


DIVISION  OF  THE  CHURCH.  475 

with  remarkable  composure;  and  the  conference 
was  permitted  to  leave  New  York  without  the  honor 
of  being  mobbed,  as  it  was  tremblingly  feared  they 
would  be,  and  without  ^//doing  the  work  it  had  un- 
expectedly wrought,  in  the  several  particulars  before 
mentioned. 

Whether  the  conference  acted  the  prudent  part 
in  this  measure  is  seriously  questioned.  Some,  who 
were  foremost  in  getting  the  plan  through,  have 
deeply  regretted  it  since.  Northern  men,  generally, 
who  favored  it,  did  so  purely  to  avoid  what  they 
regarded  a  greater  and  insupportable  evil.  To  have 
left  Bishop  Andrew  in  the  full  exercise  of  episco- 
pal powers  at  that  time,  would  have  scattered  our 
Churches  to  the  winds;  and  that,  it  was  believed  on 
good  authority,  would  have  been  the  result  of  pre- 
venting the  adoption  of  this  or  some  similar  plan  of 
conciliation.  Indeed,  we  only  escaped,  as  it  was;  a 
circumstance  which  should  never  be  forgotton  in  treat- 
ing of  the  action  of  New  England  men  in  the  prem- 
ises. Our  choice  was  between  having  a  slave-holding 
bishop,  the  transfer  of  our  Churches  to  Wesleyanism, 
so  called,  or  a  general  New  England  secession,  on  the 
one  hand  ;  and  acquiescence  in  a  plan,  some  features 
of  which  we  did  not  approve,  but  could  not  get 
altered,  either  in  the  committee,  or  in  the  conference, 
on  the  other.  We  preferred  the  latter.  It  seemed  to 
us  better  to  be  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
united  and  at  peace,  than  to  be  a  distracted  limb  of 
it,  or  separate,  however  harmoniously,  and  let  the 
South  hold  the  old  title,  and  the  perquisites  con- 
nected therewith.  And  if  they  had  a  mind  to 
take    the    responsibility   of    separating,  we   were    not 


476  HIST  OR  Y  OF  METHODISM. 

• 
disposed  to  demur,  to  treat  them  discourteously,  or  to 
withhold  from  them  anything  that  they  could  lawfully 
claim,  and  the  Church  lawfully  bestow.  Hence,  we 
concurred  in  the  plan,  though  not  satisfied  with  it, 
and  the  South  has  taken  all  the  advantage  of  it  pos- 
sible to  become  an  independent  body,  and  adjust 
themselves  to  what  they  regarded  the  necessities  of 
their  situation.  For  one,  the  writer  can  not  regret 
it.  Had  they  remained  in  the  Church,  there  must 
have  been  an  endless  controversy,  to  very  little 
purpose. 

But  whether  this  action  was  wise  or  not,  the 
annual  conferences  failed  to  indorse  it,  and  the  South 
infracted  its  express  and  implied  conditions  to  such 
an  extent  that  the  General  Conference  of  1848  pro- 
nounced it  "null  and  void,"  and  have  not  rescinded 
that  action  since. 

We  refer  to  the  subject  only  as  a  mere  matter  of 
history,  and  not  to  censure  either  party.  It  was  a 
part  of  the  complicated  machinery  employed  by 
Providence  to  "extirpate"  the  "great  evil"  of 
American  slavery,  and  had  its  influence  on  that 
grand  consummation. 

THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH    SOUTH    ORGANIZED. 

May  1,  1845,  tne  delegates  of  fourteen  Southern 
conferences,  met  at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  organize  a  new  Church,  which  they  denom- 
inated, "The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South." 
Bishops  Andrew  and  Soule  gave  their  assent  to  the 
measure,  and  were  recognized  as  bishops.  A  new 
Discipline  was  arranged,  retaining  our  doctrines  and 
economy,    except    in    regard    to    slavery,    and    some 


DIVISION  OF  THE  CHURCH.  477 

governmental  questions  not  of  much  practical  impor- 
tance, and  the  conferences  were  called  upon  to  rally 
to  the  new  standard,  and  many  did  so,  claiming 
that  slavery  is  sustained  by  the  Bible,  and  is  not 
a  moral  evil. 

We  are  not  able  to  state  the  exact  number  of 
our  ministers  or  people  who  were  transferred  to  the 
Church  South  by  the  action  of  the  convention,  or 
by  their  own  ;  but  the  minutes  show  that  we  had  in 
1844,  4,621  traveling  preachers;  8,o8y  local  preach- 
ers; and  1,171,356  members;  and  in  1847,  when 
the  Southern  organization  had  become  very  nearly 
complete,  we  were  reduced  to  3,642  traveling 
preachers;  4,913  local  preachers;  and  631,558  mem- 
bers; showing  a  loss  of  979  traveling  preachers; 
3,174  local  preachers;  and  539,798  members,  over 
and  above  any  gain  that  we  made  in  the  loyal 
conference. 

This  separation  made  a  similar  draft  upon  the 
connectional  property  of  the  Church.  The  General 
Conference  not  having  authority  to  divide  this  prop- 
erty without  the  constitutional  consent  of  the  annual 
conferences,  which  was  asked  for  by  the  before  men- 
tioned report  of  the  Committee  of  Nine,  but  not 
granted,  the  Church  South  sued  for  an  equitable 
proportion  of  it,  and,  after  a  long  and  expensive  con- 
test, carried  their  point,  and  received  as  follows : 
From  New  York,  $190,000  in  cash,  together  with 
the  Richmond,  Charleston,  and  Nashville  printing 
establishments,  and  all  debts  due  to  the  concern,  from 
individuals  residing  within  the  geographical  limits  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South.  From  Cin- 
cinnati the  sum  of  $80,000,  and  all  debts  due  from 


478  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

persons  living  in  the  Southern  States.      Besides  this, 
we  had  to  pay  the  taxable  costs  of  both  suits. 

THE    PRESENT    STATE    OF    THE    CHURCH    SOUTH. 

The  Church  South  reports  for  1875,  eight  bishops; 
3,485  traveling  preachers;  5,356  local  preachers;  and 
712,765  members;  including  3,489  colored  members, 
and  4,779  Indians.  It  has,  also,  7,204  Sunday- 
schools,  embracing  328,634  scholars.  It  further  re- 
ports $101,953.46  raised  last  year  for  missions. 
These  figures  indicate  a  respectable  increase,  and 
promise  well  for  the  future,  especially  when  we  con- 
sider that  they  have  dismissed  most  of  their  colored 
members,  who  have  united,  under  their  advice  and 
influence,  to  form  ''The  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,"  whose  numbers  we  shall  soon  record. 
They  have  also  a  Book  Concern  at  Nashville,  Ten- 
nessee, a  Missionary  Society,  and  nearly  all  the 
appliances  of  the  old  Church,  and  publish  several 
periodicals. 

These  divisions  caused  much  disturbance  between 
Northern  and  Southern  Methodists.  Many  societies 
were  divided,  sometimes  one  party  taking  the  prop- 
erty, and  sometimes  the  other.  And  other  differ- 
ences of  a  similar  character  may  occur,  but  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  they  will  be  more  than  counterbalanced 
by  the  healthy  competition  which  they  shall  inspire. 
The  tendency  of  the  times  is  to  fraternization. 
Though  the  two  bodies  may  never  become  organic- 
ally reunited,  they  can,  and  should  maintain  friendly 
relations,  as  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  ever 
has  done  with  the  Wesleyans  of  England  and  Canada. 
What  was  impossible  fifteen   years  ago  without  the 


DIVISION  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


479 


sacrifice  of  moral  principle,  will  be  quite  practicable 
so  soon  as  the  parties  concerned  can  conquer  their 
prejudices.  And  they  will  reach  that  point  some 
day,  we  think,  when  there  will  be  an  interchange  of 
ministerial  service,  such  as  now  prevails  among  the 
conferences  of  both  bodies.  But  it  is  not  wise  to 
hurry  the  matter.  Fraternity  can  not  be  produced 
by  votes.  Time,  and  friendly  recognition,  will 
need  little  help  to  effect  all  that  is  desirable  in  this 
direction. 

THE    COLORED    METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH. 

This  body,  as  before  hinted,  is  an  offshoot  from  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South,  and  was  organ- 
ized under  its  auspices,  from  prudential  considera- 
tions, December  16,  1872.  In  1874,  it  reported  four- 
teen conferences,  635  traveling,  and  683  local  preach- 
ers; and  6y,S8T,  lay  members.  This  arrangement 
accommodates  the  prejudice  against  color  in  both 
races,  and  allows  them  to  keep  respectfully  apart; 
and  it  may  have  other  advantages  which  we  do  not 
now  comprehend.  "God  bless  them  all,"  we  be- 
lieve, is  the  honest  prayer  of  their  Northern  brethren 
generally. 

THE    GENERAL    CONFERENCE    OF    I 848. 

This  body  convened  in  Pittsburg,  Pennyslvania, 
representing  780  traveling  preachers,  and  532,290 
members  less  than  the  Church  numbered  four  years 
before — a  sad  loss,  solely  attributable  to  the  separa- 
tion of  the  South.  Our  missionary  and  other  collec- 
tions had  also  suffered,  but  not  to  the  same  degree. 
The  Book  Concern  remained  intact,  the  question  of 


480  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Southern  claims  not  being  settled.  The  Church 
South  appeared  before  the  conference  by  its  dele- 
gates, asking  for  settlement,  and  for  fraternal  recog- 
nition, but  they  were  not  received.  A  resolution, 
adopted  in  1840  in  subserviency  to  slavery,  was  re- 
scinded, which  was  about  all  that  was  done  directly 
in  relation  to  the  subject.  Still,  it  was  ever  present, 
and  largely  controlled  in  home  matters,  not  involving 
the  Church  South.  Abolitionists,  however,  did  suc- 
ceed, by  skillful  and  persistent  engineering,  in  electing 
Rev.  Abel  Stevens  editor  of  the  Christian  Advocate, 
in  place  of  Dr.  Bond.  Not  that  Mr.  Stevens  was 
one  with  them,  for  he  never  claimed  any  such  rela- 
tion, but  in  hope  that  he  would  treat  them,  and  the 
subject,  more  fairly  than  Dr.  Bond  had  done.  But 
this  was  lost  labor,  as  Mr.  Stevens,  for  reasons  best 
known  to  himself,  resigned,  and  the  office  was  trans- 
ferred to  Dr.  George  Peck. 

This  conference,  too,  radically  changed  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  Discipline,  as  it  did  some  of  its  rules, 
and  Dr.  C.  Elliott  was  appointed  to  write  the  history 
of  the.  quadrennium,  which  resulted  in  the  issue  of 
of  his  mammoth  volume,  entitled  the  ''The  Great 
Secession,"  a  valuable  book,  abounding  in  documents 
relative  to  slavery,  abolition,  and  their  concomitants, 
and,  singular  as  it  may  seem,  in  unutterable  hatred 
to  both. 

Dr.  Dixon,  a  most  able  and  genial  minister  of 
the  British  Conference,  was  present,  and  ably  repre- 
sented that  body,  and  Bishop  Hedding  was  invited 
to  reciprocate  the  courtesy,  if  his  health  would  allow 
of  it,  which  he  failed  to  do.  The  conference  ad- 
journed after  a  pleasant  session  of  one   month    with 


DIVISION  OF  THE  CHURCH.  48 1 

five  bishops,  eight  colleges,  thirty-four  seminaries, 
and  thirty-one  conferences,  having  lost  nine  by  the 
separation  of  the  South. 

The  four  years  following  were/  characterized  by 
the  usual  variety  of  toil  and  conflict,  creating 
hopes  and  fears  incident  to  every  period,  but  still 
affording  gratifying  results.  Our  net  increase  was 
672  traveling  preachers,  and  89,634  members,  with 
corresponding  improvement  in  other  departments  of 
interest. 

DEATH    OF   BISHOP    HEDDING. 

The  melancholy  event  of  this  quadrennium  was 
the  death  of  the  venerable  Bishop  Hedding,  which 
occurred  at  his  home,  in  Poughkeepsie,  New  York, 
April  9,  1852.  He  was  a  remarkable  man,  sincerely 
pious  and  devout,  loving  and  kind  to  every  body, 
and  about  the  grandest  specimen  of  a  bishop  that 
could  well  be  imagined.  We  heartily  indorse  the 
tribute  to  his  memory  presented  by  his  bereaved 
colleagues  to  the  General  Conference  of  1852.  They 
said:  "His  end  was  peaceful,  happy,  and  triumph- 
ant. He  sustained  the  highly  responsible  office  of 
general  superintendent  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  for  nearly  twenty-eight  years.  With  a  strong 
and  discriminating  mind,  busily  engaged  for  so  many 
years  in  acquiring  knowledge  and  wisdom  from  vari- 
ous sources  of  literature,  science,  philosophy,  and 
religion,  we  shall  not  be  regarded  as  extravagant 
eulogists  when  we  say  that  he  has  left  few  equals  in 
the  Church;  and,  take  him  all  in  all,  no  superior 
survives  him.  With  all  his  greatness,  he  had  the 
simplicity    of   a    child.      His    amiability,    gentleness, 

4i 


482  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

and  kindness  endeared  him  to  all  with  whom  he  had 
intercourse,  from  the  prattling  child  to  the  youth,  to 
the  middle-aged,  and  to  those  of  old  age  and  declin- 
ing years.  All  felt  at  ease  in  the  society  of  this 
truly  good  man,  and  were  delighted  with  his  unpre- 
tending and  attractive  manners.  As  a  preacher,  he 
had  many  and  great  excellencies.  As  an  adminis- 
trative officer,  he  was  justly  esteemed  unrivaled  in 
the  soundness  of  his  opinions,  the  earnestness  of  his 
constitutional  views  and  legal  decisions,  and  the  dig- 
nity and  urbanity  of  his  manner."     (Journal,  p.  181.) 

We  may  add,  he  had  great  faith  in  the  preach- 
ers, and  profound  sympathy  for  them  in  their  trials, 
growing  out  of  his  noble  nature  sanctified  by  grace, 
and  his  long  and  severe  experience  on  wild  and  hard 
circuits  and  districts  before  he  was  made  bishop. 
They  found  in  him  a  brother,  and  even  a  father, 
who  made  their  welfare  his  own,  and  planned  for 
their  highest  happiness,  so  far  as  he  could  do  it  con- 
sistently with  the  cause  of  God.  He  never  imposed 
burdens  on  them  which  he  had  not  borne,  or  en- 
joined a  heroism  which  he  had  not  displayed.  If  he 
could  not  gratify  their  wishes,  he  would  come  as 
near  it  as  possible,  and  never  trifle  with  their  feel- 
ings. If  he  must  afflict  them,  he  did  it  tenderly,  sor- 
rowfully, so  that  they  felt  that  he  suffered  with  them. 

Being  stationed  at  one  of  his  old  homes,  and 
among  the  dearest  friends  of  his  early  ministry, 
where  he  used  to  delight  to  "rest  awhile,"  the 
writer  knew  him  well.  He  met  him  in  the  cabinet, 
too,  and  in  his  conflict  with  certain  abolitionists  who 
did  not  know  him,  and  who  therefore  questioned  his 
integrity;    but,   in  every  condition,  he  was  the  great 


DIVISION  OF  THE   CHURCH.  483 

and  good  Bishop  Hedding — in  error,  as  we  thought, 
on  one  subject,  but  not  to  be  the  less  loved  or  hon- 
ored. We  met  him  in  the  General  Conference  of 
1844,  and  marked  his  solicitude.  He  loved  New 
England,  the  home  of  his  youth  and  the  field  of  his 
early  labors,  and  pleaded  for  it  when  in  danger  of 
being  dishonored  by  Southern  prejudice.  Soon  after 
the  bishops'  report,  advising  the  laying  over  the  case 
of  Bishop  Andrew,  was  read  and  laid  upon  the  table, 
he  came  past  the  writer's  seat,  and,  giving  him  a 
tap  on  the  shoulder,  said,  "Let  me  see  you  a  min- 
ute." We  followed  him  to  the  basement,  when  he 
asked,  with  manifest  anxiety,  "What  do  you  think 
of  that  advice?"  We  then  read  to  him  certain  reso- 
lutions, unanimously  adopted,  the  day  before,  by  all 
the  New  England  delegates,  in  anticipation  of  such 
advice,  to  the  effect  that,  should  the  case  be  thus 
laid  over,  and  Bishop  Andrew  be  left  a  bishop  in 
full  authority,  the  only  way  for  the  New  England 
conferences  to  prevent  being  completely  broken  up 
by  the  seceders,  would  be  to  separate  in  a  body,  and 
invite  Bishop  Hedding  to  preside  over  them.  These 
resolutions  were  to  have  been  put  into  the  bishop's 
hands  before  he  should  meet  his  colleagues,  but  were 
not  copied  in  season;  and  the  committee  feared  to 
call  him  out,  lest  they  should  create  suspicion,  and 
do  more  hurt  than  good.  On  hearing  these  resolu- 
tions, "O!"  said  the  bishop,  "I  am  sorry  you  did 
not  bring  them;"  and,  with  despair  on  his  counte- 
nance, he  added,  "That  is  so,  and  I  will  go  right 
up  and  withdraw  my  name  from  that  paper,"  which 
he  did,  saying  that  he  signed  it  in  doubt,  hoping 
that    it   might   be   for   the    best;    but,    from    further 


484  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

information  which  he  had  received,  he  felt  compelled 
to  withdraw  his  name.  That  killed  the  postpone- 
ment, and  saved  New  England. 

For  those  who  have  the  management  and  direc- 
tion of  preachers  and  people,  Bishop  Hedding  was  a 
model  worthy  of  study  and  imitation. 

THE  GENERAL  CONFERENXE  OF  1 85  2. 

The  eleventh  delegated  General  Conference  met 
in  Boston,  May  1st,  and  continued  in  session  one 
month.  The  address  of  the  bishops  was  an  inter- 
esting vindication  of  certain  fundamental  features  of 
Methodism,  suggesting  and  even  urging  the  exten- 
sion of  the  probation  of  ministers  to  four  years, 
which  has  not  been  done  yet,  and  probably  will  not 
be  at  present.  As  opportunities  for  preparation  in- 
crease, the  necessity  for  extending  the  probation 
diminishes. 

The  same  address  called  attention  to  the  rule 
relating  to  the  location  of  preachers  for  unaccepta- 
bility,  and,  strange  to  say,  suggests  its  modification 
so  as  to  allow  a  conference  to  locate  them  without  a 
formal  trial,  to  save  time  and  embarrassment.  (Jour- 
nal, p.  188.)  The  history  of  this  rule  furnishes  an 
interesting  chapter,  which  traveling  preachers  may 
profitably  study. 

The  conference  made  quite  an  impression  on 
New  England,  it  being  the  first  one  of  the  kind 
ever  held  in  that  quarter.  His  honor,  the  mayor  of 
Boston,  in  behalf  of  the  city  authorities,  invited  the 
members  of  the  General  Conference  to  a  steamboat 
excursion  among  the  islands  of  its  unparalleled  har- 
bor*   The  invitation  was  accepted,  and  the  excursion 


DIVISION   OF  THE   CHURCH.  485 

was  one  of  marked  interest  and  pleasure,  presenting 
a  wide  contrast  with  the  reception  of  Jesse  Lee, 
sixty-two  years  before,  who  entered  the  city  alone, 
on  horseback,  unheralded,  and  preached  under  the 
old  elm  on  the  common  for  the  want  of  a  better 
place,  and  sought  for  months,  in  vain,  to  improve 
his  situation.  But  the  world  moves.  By  faith,  the 
walls  of  Jericho  even  fell  down,  after  they  had 
been  long  compassed  about.  Boston  was  obliged 
to  acknowledge  a  power  which  its  former  authori- 
ties sought  to  ignore,  and  it  was  well  and  hand- 
somely done. 

New  England  also  impressed  the  conference. 
Middle  and  Western  men,  who  had  never  seen 
the  "Hub"  or  its  surrounding  Methodism,  thought 
rather  lightly  of  both,  and  were  not  easily  convinced 
of  their  mistake;  but  they  were  compelled  to  con- 
fess that  Boston  held  and  practiced  some  Method- 
istic  "notions"  that  they  might  profitably  adopt.  In 
these  respects,  at  least,  the  conference  was  a  success. 

OF   THE    BUSINESS   TRANSACTED. 

The  episcopacy  was  strengthened,  at  this  con- 
ference, by  the  election  of  Levi  Scott,  Matthew 
Simpson,  Edward  R.  Ames,  and  Osmon  C.  Baker. 
The  vexed  pew  question  was  relieved  by  rescind- 
ing the  rigid  old  rule  requiring  free  churches,  and 
adopting  another  only  giving  them  the  preference. 
(Discipline,  par.  496.)  The  missionary,  tract,  and 
Sunday-school  causes  received  special  attention,  and 
Dr.  John  P.  Durbin  was  made  missionary  secretary 
in  place  of  Dr.  Charles  Pitman,  whose  health  failed 
him  early  in  the  preceding  quadrennium. 


486  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

NATIONAL    MAGAZINE   AUTHORIZED. 

This  conference,  under  educational  pressure,  au- 
thorized the  publication  of  a  monthly  magazine  of 
"current  and  religious  literature,"  and  appointed 
Abel  Stevens  to  edit  it.  The  first  number  appeared 
the  following  July,  entitled,  The  National  Magazine, 
" devoted  to  literature,  art,  and  religion;"  but  it 
never  succeeded,  for  the  reason  that  it  attempted  to 
cater  for  the  patronage  of  the  general  public,  as  its 
name  indicates,  and  thus  forfeited  the  patronage  of 
the  Church.  Like  Cokesbury  College,  it  started  too 
early  in  our  history;  besides,  it  was  too  worldly  and 
abstract  to  command  the  sympathy  of  our  people. 
After  running  a  race  of  five  years'  continuance,  and 
wasting  untold  thousands  of  the  earnings  of  the 
Book  Concern,  and  still  decreasing  in  circulation,  in 
spite  of  every  effort  that  could  be  made  to  sustain 
it,  the  agents  submitted  the  subject  to  the  book 
committee,  in  1857,  whose  wise  advice,  looking  to- 
ward resuscitation,  was  carried  into  effect  without 
success.  Reporting  again  to  the  same  committee,  in 
February,  1858,  they  took  the  matter  into  careful  con- 
sideration, and  met  again  the  following  June,  report- 
ing that  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  Newark,  Troy,  Ver- 
mont, New  Hampshire,  Maine,  Providence,  Oneida, 
New  England,  New  York,  and  New  York  East  Con- 
ferences had  advised  its  discontinuance,  whereupon 
the  committee  itself  advised  it.  Remembering  that 
the  General  Conference  of  1852  authorized  its  issue 
on  the  express  condition  that  it  should  be  "safe  to 
the  Concern"  and  that  the  last  General  Conference 
had  voted  to  continue  it  in  view  of  the  prospect  of 


DIVISION   OF  THE   CHURCH.  487 

an  increased  circulation  sufficient  to  "carry  it  safely 
through"  the  agents  felt  obliged  to  suspend  it,  and 
did  so  rather  than  squander  tens  of  thousands  of 
dollars  more  in  printing  a  work  the  people  would 
not  purchase.  The  contributors,  of  course,  mourned 
its  demise,  as  did  some  others ;  but  it  has  never  been 
missed  or  lamented  by  the  masses  of  our  preachers 
or  people. 

Methodism  is  emphatically  spiritual  and  practical. 
So  long  as  we  keep  within  our  prescribed  range,  we 
can  cope  with  the  world;  but  the  moment  that  we 
depart  from  it  to  compete  with  independent  publish- 
ers on  their  particular  lines,  we  fail.  Our  religion 
will  not  allow  us  to  furnish  the  frolic  and  fun  that 
takes  with  the  world,  nor  are  the  agents  permitted, 
under  our  system,  to  procure  just  that  style  of  edi- 
torial management  required  by  the  circumstances  of 
such  an  enterprise. 

OF    THE    STATE    OF   THE    CHURCH. 

The  Church,  at  that  time,  was  generally  at  peace, 
except  that  it  was  a  little  sensitive  on  slavery.  The 
border  conferences,  not  being  fully  delivered  from 
that  evil,  and  being  in  sharp  competition  with  the 
Church  South,  could  not  bear  to  hear  much  on  the 
subject,  and  abolitionists  would  not  " wholly  refrain" 
from  its  agitation.  Still,  the  Church  enjoyed  general 
prosperity.  The  net  increase  of  90,246  members  in 
four  years  was  encouraging;  besides,  the  last  five 
years  had  improved  our  Sunday-schools  by  the  addi- 
tion of  32,741  officers  and  teachers,  552,681  scholars, 
and  652,218  volumes  to  the  libraries.  Add  to  this 
a  liberal  advance  in  the  contributions  to  our  various 


488  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

benevolences,  and  the  wonderful  growth  of  our  edu- 
cational enterprises,  and  we  see  much  cause  for 
thanksgiving;  but,  what  was  still  more  gratifying, 
the  Church  seemed  to  grow  in  spiritual  life  and 
power.  The  subject  of  holiness,  which  had  previ- 
ously suffered  from  various  imprudences,  was  becom- 
ing better  understood  and  more  highly  appreciated. 
The  pastoral  letter  sent  forth  by  the  conference  was, 
therefore,  highly  congratulatory,  though  it  adminis- 
tered timely  caution  against  the  love  of  the  world, 
expensive  churches,  etc. 

The  following  four  years  developed  nothing  very 
striking.  The  minutes,  however,  showed  an  increase 
of  958  traveling  preachers,  910  local  preachers,  and 
77,627  members.  There  was  also  a  manifest  im- 
provement with  regard  to  church  edifices.  Our 
people,  about  that  time,  began  to  wake  up  to  the 
importance  of  having  respectable  churches  in  good 
locations,  instead  of  the  miserable  out-of-the-way 
structures,  which  they  had  endured  so  long.  Con- 
nected with  this  discovery-  was  the  duty  of  giving 
ministers  more  eligible  homes  and  a  better  support; 
and  the  tide  began  to  flow  in  these  directions.  Yet, 
contrary  to  all  the  predictions  of  the  over-cautious 
and  penurious  brotherhood,  the  benevolences  of  the 
Church  increased  in  greater  proportion.  The  collec- 
tions for  the  Missionary  and  Bible  Societies  more 
than  doubled  the  amount  raised  the  preceding  four 
years. 

GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  1 856. 

This  body  convened  at  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  and 
was  composed  of  two  hundred  and  seventeen  mem- 


DIVISION  OF  THE  CHURCH.  489 

bers.  Drs.  Hannah  and  Jobson,  of  England,  were 
present,  bearing  the  fraternal  greetings  of  the  British 
Conference.  Bishop  Simpson  and  Dr.  M'Clintock 
were  appointed  to  visit  that  body  in  return,  and  also 
to  visit  the  Irish  Conference.  Delegates  from  other 
branches  of  the  Wesleyan  family  were  also  present, 
as  usual,  and  contributed  much  to  the  interest  of  the 
occasion.  The  Rev.  Robinson  Scott,  a  delegate  from 
the  Irish  Conference,  with  his  colleague,  Mr.  Cather, 
from  England,  justly  attracted  much  attention.  Our 
Church  in  this  country  having  been  started,  and  sub- 
sequently strengthened  and  extended  by  emigrants 
from  Ireland,  to  the  great  depletion  and  impoverish- 
ment of  the  Irish  Conference,  it  naturally  occurred 
to  that  body  in  its  financial  necessities,  that  it  might 
not  be  unreasonable  to  ask  a  little  assistance  from  us 
in  return.  Accordingly,  Mr.  Scott  was  deputed  to 
visit  the  country,  which  he  did  some  time  before, 
and  was  cordially  welcomed.  This  conference  favored 
the  enterprise,  as  did  many  of  the  annual  conferences. 
One  hundred  thousand  dollars  were  asked  for  and 
conceded ;  but  the  receipts  must  have  fallen  short  of 
this  amount.  They  were  appropriated  to  the  literary 
institutions  of  the  Irish  Conference,  before  men- 
tioned— a  small  contribution,  indeed,  compared  with 
the  obligations  of  American  Methodism  to  that 
struggling  country. 

THE  ACTION  OF  THE  CONFERENCE. 

The  action  of  this  body  was  unusually  progress- 
ive. The  exciting  subject  of  slavery  was,  for  the 
first  time  in  many  years,  referred  to  a  standing  com- 
mittee, composed  of  one  member  from  each  annual 


4Q0  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

conference.  In  1848,  it  was  referred  to  the  com- 
mittee on  the  state  of  the  Church,  and,  four  years 
after,  to  the  committee  on  revisals,  which  simply 
meant  to  get  rid  of  it  with  the  least  inconvenience. 
The  motion  to  refer  it  to  a  standing  committee  meant 
consideration  and  fair  treatment ;  it  had  it,  and  was 
properly  characterized.  The  discussion  and  votes  re- 
vealed a  majority  of  moderate  and  decided  abolition- 
ists, some  of  whom  refrained  from  expressing  all  their 
hatred  to  slavery  from  prudential  regard  to  our 
Southern  border;  but  they  really  "meant  business." 
Education  and  missions  among  us  received  much 
attention,  and  were  heartily  commended  to  the 
patronage  of  the  people.  Eight  new  conferences 
were  added,  to  wit:  Delaware,  Detroit,  Peoria,  West 
Wisconsin,  Upper  Iowa,  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Newark, 
and  the  German  Mission,  making  forty-seven  in  all. 

This  conference  also  improved  our  arrangements 
for  taking  statistics,  by  requiring  an  annual  report  of 
Church  property,  which  went  into  operation  in  1857, 
when  it  appeared  that  we  had  8,335  churches,  worth 
$15,781,310,  and  2,174  parsonages,  estimated  to  be 
worth  $2,126,874.  This  was  a  wise  measure,  which 
enables  us  to  mark  our  financial  progress.  We  shall 
furnish  the  annual  reports  hereafter  in  tabuiar  form, 
from  which  important  lessons  may  be  learned. 

A    NEW  COURT  PROVIDED   FOR. 

Much  time  had  been  consumed  by  the  trial  of 
preachers  in  annual  conferences,  and  by  the  trial 
of  appeals  in  General  Conferences,  which  being  open 
to  the  public,  often  occasioned  much  mortification. 
The  subject   had  been  ventilated  by  several  General 


DIVISION  OF  THE  CHURCH.  491 

Commences,  to  little  purpose,  other  than  to  elicit 
complicated  schemes  of  relief,  to  perish  on  the  table. 
This  year  the  subject  was  referred  to  a  small  com- 
mittee, who  reported  a  simple  modification,  allowing 
the  conferences  concerned  to  try  members  and  ap- 
peals by  committees,  which  report  was  adopted  with- 
out one  word  of  objection,  and  has  been  generally 
followed  since,  saving  much  time  and  inconvenience. 

The  plan  for  trying  appeals  by  the  General  Con- 
ference was  equally  simple,  and  easy  to  operate;  but 
it  was  superseded  in  1872  by  the  introduction  of  a 
new  judicatory,  called  the  Judicial  Conference.  (See 
Dis.,  pp.  124-126,  140-143.)  But  this  plan,  we 
think,  is  too  complicated  and  expensive  for  the  ben- 
efits it  proposes,  and  can  not  long  survive  without 
serious  modification.  The  only  advantage  of  it  ap- 
pears to  be,  that  it  sometimes  gives  the  appellant  an 
earlier  hearing;  but,  on  the  old  plan,  he  was  not  de- 
layed so  long  as  is  quite  common  in  civil  courts. 
But  now  that  the  trial  is  had  before  a  committee, 
and  not  before  the  whole  conference,  as  formerly,  it 
can  not  be  difficult  to  make  up  an  appellate  court 
within  the  bounds  of  most  conferences  that  would  be 
much  more  convenient,  and  equally  fair  to  all  parties. 
In  this  case  the  appeal  may  be  tried  immediately 
after  the  verdict  is  rendered,  from  which  it  is  taken, 
before  the  preachers  shall  disperse,  and  thus  save 
time  and  expense,  and  not  trouble  other  conferences. 

Connected  with  this  addition,  there  was  also  some 
pertinent  subtraction.  The  rules  in  relation  to  band 
meetings,  and  men  and  women  sitting  apart  in 
Church,  having  become  useless  by  the  change  of  cir- 
cumstances, were  rescinded. 


492  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

A    STEP   TOWARD    RITUALISM. 

As  we  have  seen,  Mr.  Wesley  was  at  first  a  strict 
ritualist,  read  his  sermons  and  prayers,  and  rigidly 
followed  Church  rules.  Conversion  to  God  freed 
him  from  many  of  his  notions  and  methods,  but 
never  fully  from  the  Established  Church  and  its 
formularies.  Accordingly  he  prepared  a  modified 
ritual  and  prayer-book  for  American  Methodists, 
which  never  found  much  favor,  and  soon  dropped 
out  of  use,  with  the  gown,  except  on  special  occa- 
sions, such  as  ordinations,  and  the  administration  of 
the  sacraments.  Frequent  attempts  have  been  made 
to  revive  them,  rules  and  resolutions  being  adopted 
for  that  purpose,  but  to  little  effect.  The  General 
Conference  of  1856  inaugurated  a  gigantic  attempt 
to  perfect  the  ritual  by  the  appointment  of  a  com- 
mittee to  report  at  the  next  General  Conference. 
In  i860,  nearly  the  same  committee  was  appointed 
to  prepare  a  revised  ritual,  submit  it  to  the  bishops, 
and  print  it  so  far  as  they  should  approve,  and  for- 
ward a  copy  to  each  of  the  members  of  that,  and  the 
following  General  Conferences.  This  was  done  with- 
out stint  of  labor  or  expense,  and  resulted  in  the 
adoption  of  our  present  ritual  in  1864. 

The  history  of  these  revisions  is  instructive, 
showing  the  folly  of  clinging  to  an  old  system  of 
dead  formulas,  which  have  little  adaptation  to  the 
spirit  and  aims  of  Methodism,  otherwise  known  as 
"  Christianity  in  earnest."  The  result  is,  our  ritual 
occupies  nearly  one-third  of  our  book  of  Disci- 
pline, and  is  not  followed  in  ordinary  service  with 
any  considerable  uniformity,  even  where  specifically 


DIVISION  OF  THE  CHURCH.  493 

enjoined.  Many  object  to  the  sentiments  involved, 
and  the  language  employed,  as  inappropriate  to  the 
spirit  and  circumstances  of  the  occasion,  and  prefer 
to  furnish  something  more  modern  and  impressive. 
For  one,  the  writer  is  not  surprised.  The  truth  is, 
as  a  people,  we  were  never  much  inclined  to  ritualism, 
and,  as  we  grow  in  grace  and  knowledge,  we  have  less 
and  less  need  of  these  extraneous  helps,  and  feel 
more  inclined  to  speak,  both  to  God  and  man,  as  the 
Spirit  shall  give  us  utterance. 


494  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    GENERAL    CONFERENCE    OF     i860 DEATH     OF     BISHOP 

WAUGH FIRST     COLORED     BISHOP PROGRESS     OF     THE 

CAUSE  GENERALLY LAY  DELEGATION,    ITS    HISTORY  AND 

CONSUMMATION SIGNS     OF     THE     TIMES     PORTENTOUS 

HOW  REGARDED. 

THE  thirteenth  delegated  General  Conference  met 
at  Buffalo,  New  York,  May  1st,  and  adjourned 
on  the  4th  of  June,  numbering  two  hundred  and 
twenty-one  delegates.  But  the  seat  of  the  senior 
bishop  of  the  last  session  was  vacant. 

BISHOP  WAUGH    WAS    DEAD. 

He  was  born  in  Fairfax  County,  Virginia,  in  1789; 
converted  in  his  fifteenth  year ;  joined  the  Baltimore 
Conference  in  1809;  spent  two  years  on  hard  cir- 
cuits; and  the  following  sixteen  in  Washington,  Bal- 
timore, and  other  important  stations;  served  as  Book 
Agent  at  New  York  eight  years;  and  in  1836,  he 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  bishop.  He  was  gentle- 
manly above  the  common  average  of  ministers,  able, 
efficient,  and  successful,  loving,  and  beloved  by  all 
who  knew  him  and  were  capable  of  appreciating 
a  manly,  Christian  minister.  He  died  February  9, 
1858.  "His  illness  was  short,  and  his  death  happy. 
Up  to  within  a  few  days  of  his  decease  he  labored 
with  unabated  ardor  in  fulfilling  the  ministry  which 


PORTENTOUS  TIMES.  495 

he  had  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus."  .  .  .  ''As 
a  presiding  officer,  he  was  calm,  courteous,  and  dig- 
nified; in  the  delicate  and  difficult  work  of  station- 
ing the  preachers,  he  was  patient,  affectionate,  and 
firm;  in  the  councils  of  the  Church,  he  was  discrim- 
inating, sagacious,  and  candid ;  as  an  executive  officer, 
he  was  sympathetic,  fraternal,  and  decided;  in  Chris- 
tian excellence,  in  ministerial  fidelity  and  episcopal 
usefulness,  he  was  eminent.  His  loss  to  the  Church 
and  the  cause  of  religion  is  great." 

This  seems  almost  too  much  to  say  of  any  mortal, 
and  yet  it  falls  short  of  the  truth  in  regard  to  Bishop 
Waugh.  His  mourning  colleagues  did  well  in  giving 
this  glowing  portraiture  of  his  character,  and  they 
might  have  added  after  all,  that  he  shone  brighter  in 
social  life  than  in  any  other  position,  where  he  pre- 
sented one  of  the  most  perfect  models  of  a  Christian 
gentleman  that  we  ever  beheld.  Our  first  sight  of 
him  was,  as  he  stood  erect  in  the  midst  of  the  New 
York  Conference,  arguing  against  the  manifest  will 
of  the  rulers  of  that  body,  on  a  constitutional  ques- 
tion. They  had  little  patience  with  his  dissent,  but  he 
was  calm,  sincere,  and  manly;  and  prevailed  not  there, 
but  in  the  final  vote.  He  was  one  of  the  few  South- 
ern men  who  could  oppose  New  England  abolition 
and  still  command  their  love,  though  he  could  not 
control  their  sentiments  or  action.  Our  last  sight 
of  him  was  at  a  conference  in  Michigan,  where  we 
spent  a  whole  Sabbath  together  in  the  State-house, 
the  governor  being  present.  He  was  the  happiest 
bishop  we  ever  saw.  He  shouted  and  rejoiced  like 
one  who  saw  heaven  open.  We  feared  then  that  he 
was  about  to  depart,  and  it  was  so. 


496  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


THE    FIRST    COLORED    BISHOP. 

The  bishops  reported  at  this  conference  having 
ordained  Rev.  Francis  Burns,  of  Liberia  Conference, 
to  the  office  of  bishop,  October  14,  1858,  as  per 
order  of  the  last  General  Conference.  After  a  life 
of  useful  service,  he  closed  his  career  in  Baltimore, 
April  18,  1863,  to  join  the  martyr  Cox  who  would 
have  "thousands  fall  before  Africa  should  be  given 
up."  The  opening  of  Liberia  Mission  was  a  daring 
undertaking.  Mr.  Wright,  who  soon  followed  Mr. 
Cox  with  his  young  wife  to  the  grave,  was  but  little 
known  out  of  Boston;  but  he  was  a  most  healthy 
and  brilliant  young  preacher.  We  were  received 
into  the  conference  with  him ;  but  he  was  cut  off,  O, 
how  soon!  The  mission,  however,  has  done  good. 
Its  martyrs  still  speak,  and  will  be  heard  and  heeded. 

The  General  Conference  of  1864  provided  for  the 
election,  by  the  Liberia  Conference,  of  a  successor  to 
Bishop  Burns,  which  was  effected,  and  Rev.  J.  W. 
Roberts  was  consecrated,  at  New  York,  a  missionary 
bishop  for  Liberia,  in  June,  1866;  but  he,  too,  has 
lately  departed  to  his  heavenly  reward. 

NEW    ASPECTS    OF    EDUCATION. 

As  we  have  seen,  the  educational  movements  of 
the  Church  were  not  a  success  for  many  years. 
Then,  establishing  some  few  institutions  with  encour- 
aging prospects,  the  conferences  were  urged  to  mul- 
tiply them,  which  they  did  with  so  much  zeal,  that 
the  bishops  began  to  fear  that  the  work  was  being 
overdone.  Accordingly,  in  their  address  to  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  of  i860,  they  suggested  the  propriety 


PORTENTOUS  TIMES.  497 

of  imposing  some  restraint,  and  objected  to  making 
up  the  faculties  with  men  professing  to  be  moved 
by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  preach  the  Gospel.  They  say, 
' '  it  seems  inharmonious  with  the  itinerant  character 
of  our  ministry,  and  incompatible  with  the  designs 
of  our  conference  associations,  for  men,  who  never  in- 
tend to  enter  the  pastoral  work,  but  to  make  teach- 
ing a  profession  for  life,  to  be  admitted  to  member- 
ship in  the  conference."  But  little  attention  has 
been  paid  to  this  suggestion,  though  teaching  is  just 
as  secular  a  business  as  practicing  medicine. 

The  report  of  this  conference  presents  a  summary 
of  103  institutions,  embracing  twenty-five  collegiate 
and  two  theological,  valued  at  $4,080,465,  and  em- 
ploying 633  teachers,  giving  instruction  to  21,616 
pupils. 

PROGRESS  OF  THE  CAUSE  GENERALLY. 

This  conference  was  greatly  cheered  by  the 
progress  of  the  Church  in  other  respects.  Power- 
ful revivals  had  prevailed  during  the  last  four  years, 
giving  a  net  increase  of  1,469  itinerant  preachers, 
174,914  members,  1,295  Sunday-schools,  26, 140  offi- 
cers and  teachers,  and  153,466  scholars.  With  re- 
gard to  Church  property,  the  increase  had  been,  in 
two  years,  960  churches,  or  more  than  nine  per 
week,  and  366  parsonages,  averaging  over  one  in 
two  days,  showing  an  advance  in  value  of  $3,341,- 
624.  Our  benevolent  enterprises  also  gained  consid- 
erably, though  not  in  proportion  to  the  other  inter- 
ests named.  But  this  unparalleled  prosperity  did 
not  create  entire  satisfaction.  The  conference  was 
especially  agitated   by  two  great  questions,   namely: 

42 


498  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


SLAVERY   AND    LAY    DELEGATION. 

Slavery  was  nothing  new,  though  particularly 
alarming  just  at  that  time.  The  South  was  working 
up  to  open  rebellion,  and  loyal  men  of  all  parties 
were  fusing  into  one  body,  to  preserve  the  Union  by 
force,  if  necessary.  The  conference  referred  the  sub- 
ject to  a  standing  committee,  by  which  it  was  thor- 
oughly canvassed;  and,  after  an  able  discussion  of -it 
in  open  conference  for  several  days,  the  original  sec- 
tion of  the  Discipline  on  the  subject  was  adopted,  in 
place  of  one  enacted  many  years  before,  by  a  vote 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  to  fifty-eight  against  it. 
There  was  a  great  deal  of  feeling,  and  some  inclined 
to  run  the  conference  strictly  on  party  principles,  as 
the  opponents  of  abolition  had  always  done  when 
they  had  the  power;  but  a  majority  were  too  mag- 
nanimous to  do  it.  Dr.  Edward  Thomson,  however, 
was  made  editor  of  the  Christian  Advocate,  which 
led,  soon  after,  to  the  issue  of  a  competing  paper  at 
New  York,  called  The  Methodist,  to  represent  the 
conservatives,  otherwise  known  as  the  pro-slavery 
party;  and  the  most  of  the  offices  were  filled  by 
men  of  that  way  of  thinking,  as  they  had  been  the 
preceding  term. 

Lay  Delegation  had  at  no  time  been  a  question 
of  general  interest.  The  Church  having  been  organ- 
ized and  brought  to  its  present  magnitude  by  the 
preachers  calling  the  people  rather  than  the  people 
the  preachers,  and  all  working  on  a  general  platform 
of  doctrine  and  discipline  furnished  by  Mr.  Wesley, 
it  seemed  reasonable  that  the  preachers  should  gov- 
ern themselves,  and,   in  doing  so,  govern  those  who 


PORTENTOUS   TIMES. 


499 


should  be  pleased  to  accept  the  conditions  of  mem- 
bership proposed  and  follow  them;  hence,  there  had 
been  no  general  agitation  of  the  question.  In  1818,  it 
was  broached  in  and  about  Philadelphia,  and  pushed 
with  much  furor  for  ten  years,  and  culminated  in 
secession  and  the  organization  of  the  "Methodist 
Protestant  Church,"  of  which  we  have  already  given 
some  account;  but  the  bishops  and  leading  men 
met  the  question  with  such  force  of  argument  that 
it  seemed  silenced  forever.  (Bangs's  History,  Vol. 
Ill,  p.  397.)  But,  in  1840,  certain  abolitionists,  feel- 
ing oppressed  by  clerical  domination,  petitioned  the 
General  Conference,  asking  for  lay  representation,  to 
whom  that  body  replied  (referring  approvingly  to 
the  action  of  the  General  Conference  of  1828  and 
the  success  of  our  system)  that  "it  is  inexpedient 
to  change  the  form  of  our  Church  government." 

Little  more  was  heard  on  the  subject  until  1852, 
when  it  came  up  in  the  General  Conference,  held  in 
Boston,  by  further  petitions  from  Philadelphia.  It 
was  referred  to  a  committee  of  twenty-nine,  one 
from  each  conference,  with  Rev.  Matthew  Simpson, 
now  one  of  our  bishops,  as  chairman.  The  commit- 
tee reported  adversely  to  it,  and  their  report  was 
almost  unanimously  adopted.  Similar  action  was 
had  in  1856;  but  in  i860  the  subject  assumed  a 
new  aspect.  The  bishops  called  attention  to  it  in 
their  opening  address,  seeming  to  have  lost  all  their 
old  fear  of  the  terrible  results  of  it  whjch  had  been 
previously  predicted,  particularly  if  it  should  be  in- 
troduced as  a  separate  house. 

The  petitions  were  referred  without  discussion, 
or  any   indication   that   a   change   of  sentiment   had 


500  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

occurred.  Near  the  close  of  the  session  the  committee 
reported  that  few  petitions  had  been  received,  either 
for  or  against,  and  that  the  action  had  by  annual  and 
quarterly  conferences  was  strongly  adverse  to  the 
measure.  Yet,  strangely  enough,  it  favored  its  intro- 
duction, and  presented  a  plan  by  which  it  might  be 
inaugurated  at  the  next  session  of  that  body,  pro- 
vided that  a  majority  of  the  members  voting  in  the 
annual  and  quarterly  conferences  should  favor  it. 
This  was  certainly  a  most  singular  report,  the  history 
of  which  remains  to  be  written.  Proposing  an  or- 
ganic change  of  our  long-established  system,  in  bold 
antagonism  to  the  arguments  and  conclusions  of  all 
preceding  General  Conferences,  and  in  opposition  to 
the  petitions  and  official  votes  presented  to  the  com- 
mittee, it  was  one  of  the  most  amazing  documents 
ever  brought  before  so  grave  a  body.  The  entire 
absence  of  any  new  fact  or  argument,  or  any  griev- 
ance to  be  redressed,  together  with  the  hurry  to  put 
the  measure  through,  and  get  the  laymen  into  power 
at  the  next  session,  rendered  the  case  still  more 
surprising.  Without  attempting  to  account  for  the 
wonderful  transition  indicated  by  these  facts,  we  will 
simply  say  that  the  project  was  superseded  by  an 
arrangement  to  refer  the  question  to  the  annual  con- 
ferences, and  to  all  the  male  members  of  the  Church 
twenty-one  years  of  age  and  over.  The  result  of  that 
reference,  as  officially  reported  in  1864,  was  1,338 
ministers  anil  28,884  members  for  lay  delegation, 
and  3,069  ministers  and  47,855  members  against  it, 
showing  very  clearly  that  the  Church  was  not  pre- 
pared for  the  measure.  The  General  Conference  of 
1864,  however,  left  the  matter  open,  in  opposition  to 


PORTENTOUS  TIMES. 


501 


the  votes  of  preachers  and  people  reported  by  the 
bishops,  showing  an  overwhelming  majority  of  both 
opposed  to  the  change,  and  reaffirming  its  approval 
of  "lay  representation  in  the  General  Conference 
whenever  it  shall  be  ascertained  that  the  Church  de- 
sires it."  This  gave  the  reformers  much  encourage- 
ment, and  they  pushed  the  agitation,  by  conventions, 
speeches,  and  documents,  with  unwonted  zeal.  What 
was  the  exact  result  of  the  voting  we  are  unable  to 
state;  but  the  General  Conference  of  1868  proceeded 
to  adopt  a  plan,  which,  if  approved  by  a  majority  of 
the  people,  and  the  necessary  changes  of  the  Dis- 
cipline should  be  recommended  by  a  constitutional 
majority  of  the  preachers,  lay  delegates  might  be 
admitted  to  the  next  General  Conference.  It  ap- 
pearing to  said  conference,  held  in  Brooklyn,  New 
York,  that  the  required  majorities  had  been  obtained, 
it  perfected  the  arrangement,  and  lay  representation 
in  the  General  Conference  went  into  practical  opera- 
tion in  1872.    ^(See  Dis.,  pp.  48-53.) 

The  writer  was  conscientiously  opposed  to  it, 
believing  that  it  would  be  better  for  all  concerned  to 
maintain  the  old  system,  and  stated  his  views  frankly 
in  a  pamphlet,  entitled  ' '  Lay  Delegation  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  Calmly  Considered." 
But  the  change  in  the  feeling  of  bishops,  editors,  and 
other  leading  ministers,  from  determined  opposition 
to  unhesitating  approval,  was  so  sudden,  and  without 
any  apparent  reason,  we  have  been  left  to  suspect 
that  God  led  the  movement,  to  prevent  certain  evils 
or  secure  important  advantages  which  we  did  not 
apprehend  at  the  time,  and  could  not,  therefore, 
appreciate.      Like   Methodism  itself,  it  was  certainly 


502  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

a  most  marvelous  affair,  I.  In  that  more  than  ten 
thousand  preachers,  having-  the  peaceable  and  sole 
government  under  God,  and  by  his  Providence  of 
more  than  a  million  and  a  half  of  members,  should 
cheerfully  consent  to  divide  their  authority  with  said 
members.  2.  It  was  stranger  still  that  these  preachers 
who  had  alone  governed  themselves  from  the  be- 
ginning, choosing  bishops  to  regulate  their  labors, 
should  relinquish  any  part  of  their  power  of  self-gov- 
ernment. 3.  And,  what  is  most  remarkable  of  all  is, 
that  they  should  place  themselves  in  a  position  to  be 
overridden  and  controlled  by  a  very  tew  lay  delegates, 
by  giving  them  a  veto  power  over  the  action  of  the 
largest  possible  minority  of  the  lay  delegates,  and  the 
united  action  of  the  clerical  delegates  composing  the 
General  Conference.  Our  meaning  may  be  better 
comprehended  by  looking  at  a  few  facts: 

1.  The  plan  provides  for  two  lay  delegates  from 
each  annual  conference  which  has  two  or  more  cler- 
ical delegates,  and  one  lay  delegate  from  each  of 
those  conferences  which  are  entitled  to  but  one  cler- 
ical delegate.  On  this  plan  the  General  Conference 
of  1872  consisted  of  292  clerical,  and  129  lay  delegates. 
(See  Dis.,  %  84,  and  Journal,  p.   29.) 

2.  The  plan  also  provides  that  these  two  classes 
may  "vote  separately  whenever  such  separate  vote 
shall  be  demanded  by  one-third  of  either  order;  and  in 
such  cases  the  concurrent  vote  of  both  orders  shall  be 
necessary  to  complete  an  action."     (See  Dis.,  %  90.) 

3.  The  motion  was  twice  made  by  a  layman  in 
the  General  Conference  of  1872  to  vote  in  this  way, 
and  was  lost  in  both  cases  by  only  two  votes — that 
is,    two   less   than    one-third.      In    the   second   case, 


PORTENTOUS  TIMES. 


503 


ninety-eight  votes  were  cast,  thirty-one  for  the  meas- 
ure, and  sixty-seven  against  it.  The  change  of  a 
single  vote  from  nay  to  yea  would  have  given  fifty 
laymen  complete  control  of  the  elections  to  which  the 
motions  referred.  They  could  have  defeated  any 
man,  though  he  had  been  the  choice  of  all  the  clerical 
delegates,  and  forty-eight  of  the  ninety-eight  lay  dele- 
gates present,  and  so  of  any  other  action  of  the 
body.  And  what  must  have  been  very  instructive  to 
some  of  the  clerical  heroes  of  lay  delegation,  many 
of  their  chief  lay  coadjutors  voted  in  the  case  named 
to  give  those  fifty  laymen  just  that  control.  (See 
Journals,  pp.  291,  349.)  Besides,  as  the  number  of 
lay  delegates  present  decreases,  the  number  necessary 
to  control  the  body  decreases.  Once,  we  believe, 
during  the  General  Conference  of  1872,  thirty-seven 
laymen  were  a  ruling  majority  for  all  veto  purposes. 
But  it  matters  little  now  who  was  right  or  who 
wrong — lay  delegation  is  a  settled  fact  for  good  or 
evil;  and  it  becomes  every  lover  of  Methodism  to 
make  the  best  of  it.  It  will  undoubtedly  lead  to 
some  other  modifications  of  our  system,  probably  for 
the  better;  and  we  are  not  without  hope  that  it  will 
effect  all  its  friends  predicted.  Our  Church  pros- 
pered more  than  one  hundred  years  without  it,  and 
Will  prosper  with  it,  if  we  live  in  and  for  God.  If 
we  do  not,  no  government  can  make  it  a  success  ;  and 
the  sooner  it  dies,  the  better  for  the  world.  Let  us 
cherish  her  in  the  devout  spirit  of  the  poet,  who  sung: 


For  her  my  tears  shall  fall ; 

For  her  my  prayers  ascend  ; 
To  her  my  cares  and  toils  be  given, 

Till  toils  and  cares  shall  end." 


504  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

The  General  Conference  of  1872  justly  commended 
the  opponents  of  lay  delegation  in  its  address  to  the 
British  Conference,  as  follows :  ' '  The  minority,  large 
as  it  is,  have  concluded,  with  remarkable  unanimity, 
that  the  law  which  enjoins  peace,  and  that  we  be  of 
one  heart  and  one  mind,  is  of  equal  obligation  with 
any  law  or  precedent  relating  to  forms  of  Church 
government.  .  .  .  And  they  think  it  best  to  put 
away  all  strife,  .  .  .  leaving  to  honest  experi- 
ment to  settle  questions  which  much  discussion  has 
failed  to  settle." 

THE    SIGNS    OF   THE   TIMES    PORTENTOUS. 

But,  to  return  to  the  General  Conference  of  i860, 
which  we  left  to  follow  out  the  action  on  lay  delega- 
tion, we  will  add  that  it  closed  with  rather  dubious 
prospects.  The  John  Brown  raid,  so-called,  and  his 
execution,  had  stirred  the  country  from  end  to  end. 
The  Supreme  Court  was  thoroughly  committed  to 
slavery.  The  South  was  pressing  hard  to  extend 
its  area  and  obtain  the  control  of  the  government. 
While  the  conference  was  in  session,  Abraham  Lin- 
coln was  nominated  for  the  next  President,  and  the 
canvass  opened  with  unbounded  enthusiasm.  His 
competitor  was  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate.  The  platforms  of  the  two  parties 
were  squarely  antagonistic,  involving  morality  and 
religion.  The  Church,  therefore,  could  not  evade 
the  contest.  Ministers  would  be  expected  to  take 
sides  as  they  had  not  previously  done,  where  the 
issue  was  about  finances. 

And  the  result  was  even  worse  than  was  antici- 
pated.     Mr.    Lincoln  was   elected,   and   assumed   the 


PORTENTOUS  TIMES.  505 

reins  of  government.  A  few  months  after,  South 
Carolina  seceded  from  the  Union,  followed  by  other 
States.  April  12,  186 1,  the  war  opened  with  an 
attack  on  Fort  Sumter,  and  Northern  soldiers  becran 
to  move  to  the  front.  The  rebellion  absorbed  the 
public  thought  beyond  all  precedent  in  our  history. 
Regarding  it  as  an  outrage  on  God  and  humanity, 
designed  to  perpetuate  and  extend  human  oppres- 
sion, it  became  a  subject  of  prayer  on  all  occasions. 
Never  had  there  been  a  war,  since  the  days  of 
Cromwell,  which  elicited  so  much  or  so  earnest  and 
believing  prayer.  While  we  praised  Lincoln  and 
Grant  and  other  prominent  actors  in  the  grand  con- 
flict, the  feeling  seemed  to  pervade  all  antislavery 
minds  that  God  ruled  the  storm,  and  that  emancipa- 
tion was  his  object  and  was  as  sure  as  his  almighti- 
ness.  Even  men  who  had  been  skeptical  in  religion, 
like  Mr.  Lincoln,  seemed  to  be  controlled  by  this 
conviction,  and  it  was  this  that  sustained  them  in 
the  dark  days  of  our  terrible  disasters. 

But,  though  many  of  our  preachers  and  people 
entered  the  army,  the  work  of  God  did  not  entirely 
cease.  Revivals  prevailed  to  a  considerable  extent, 
though  they  failed  to  bring  in  new  members  enough 
to  repair  the  ordinary  wastes  of  death  and  our  losses 
by  the  war. 

43 


506  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    GENERAL    CONFERENCE    OF    1 864 — CONDITION    OF    THE 

CHURCH THE      ATTITUDE      OF      THE      WAR ACTION      OF 

THE     CONFERENCE     REVIVED NEW     BISHOPS     ELECTED 

DELEGATES  FROM  OTHER  BODIES DISCIPLINARY  POSI- 
TION OF  THE  CHURCH  ON  TEMPERANCE CHURCH  EX- 
TENSION  THE    WAR    OPPOSED LEE'S    SURRENDER,    ETC. 

THIS  conference  was  held  in  Philadelphia,  and 
was  composed  of  two  hundred  and  sixteen 
members.  In  reviewing  the  operations  of  the  pre- 
ceding four  years,  the  bishops  remarked:  "The 
times  in  which  we  are  assembled  are  unprecedented. 
A  'mystery  of  iniquity,'  which  was  working  at  the 
date  of  your  last  session,  and  which  had  been  work- 
ing for  many  years,  broke  forth,  in  April,  1861,  in 
a  gigantic,  thoroughly  organized,  and  most  defiant 
rebellion  against  the  authority  of  the  general  gov- 
ernment and  the  integrity  and  life  of  the  Federal 
Union.  The  collisions  resulting  inevitably  from  this 
unnatural  and  wicked  rebellion  have  laid  waste  large 
portions  of  our  once  fair  and  beautiful  heritage,  have 
sent  tens  of  thousands  to  a  patriot's  or  a  traitor's 
crave,  and  have  filled  the  land  with  lamentation  and 
mourning.  The  rebellion  still  rages,  but,  we  are 
happy  to  say,  with  lessening  hopes  and  diminishing 
resources."     (Journal,  p.   274.) 

But   our  Church   proved   herself   eminently  loyal 


THE   CHURCH  AND    COUNTRY.  507 

by  giving  the  Federal  government  her  most  decided 
support,  not  merely  by  conference  resolutions  and 
financial  contributions,  but  by  her  ministers  and 
members  flocking  in  large  numbers  to  the  field  of 
battle.  It  could  not,  however,  be  denied  that  we 
had  suffered  some  loss;  yet,  considering  the  circum- 
stances, it  was  much  less  than  we  had  any  reason  to 
expect.  Our  decrease  during  these  years  was  89 
preachers  and  50,951  members,  many  of  whom  had 
fallen  martyrs  to  the  rebellion;  but  we  lost  not  a 
few  from  secession  on  the  southern  border  of  the  Bal- 
timore Conference,  whose  pro-slavery  sentiments  led 
them  into  affiliation  with  the  Church  South  and  the 
Southern  Confederacy.  They  had  not  felt  at  home 
with  us  for  many  years,  and,  when  the  time  came 
that  they  must  make  what  appeared  to  be  a  final 
choice,  they  left.  We  decreased,  too,  in  our  tract 
collections  to  the  amount  of  $3,070. 

But  in  the  other  thirteen  items  embraced  in  our 
statistical  reports,  we  made  a  moderate  gain,  as  fol- 
lows: 252  local  preachers,  124  churches,  313  parson- 
ages, $6,859  f°r  conference  claimants,  $150,740  for 
missions,  $15,655  for  American  Bible  Society,  $461 
for  Sunday-schools,  and  $2,370,896  in  the  value  of 
our  Church  property;  besides,  we  gained  1,253 
Sunday-schools,  7,618  officers  and  teachers,  101,584 
scholars,  and  114,103  volumes  in  our  libraries. 

Our  success  in  the  missionary  work  was  never 
more  encouraging.  No  field  was  abandoned  or  mis- 
sionary called  home  on  account  of  the  war.  Indeed, 
both  the  foreign  and  home  work  were  strengthened 
and  extended,  and  the  General  Missionary  Commit- 
tee were    so    encouraged    that   they  appropriated   for 


508  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

the  support  of  missions  that  year  $425,984.14,  or 
$125,984.14  more  than  had  ever  been  appropriated 
for  a  single  year  before. 

The  bishops  congratulated  that  conference,  also, 
on  the  success  of  the  Book  Concern,  which  had 
lately  divided  its  capital  stock  with  the  Church 
South.  They  say:  "We  have  the  pleasure  of  an- 
nouncing the  cheering  fact  that  this  great  interest 
was  never  in  a  more  healthy  and  prosperous  condi- 
tion than  it  is  to-day.  It  is  not  only  able  to  meet 
all  its  liabilities  and  to  carry  on  its  extended  opera- 
tions, but  the  agents  at  New  York  found  themselves 
able  to  make  to  the  conferences  dividends,  which 
had  been  discontinued  for  several  years.  Last  year, 
they  divided  four  hundred  dollars  to  each  of  the 
annual  conferences,  amounting  to  nearly  twenty  tJwu- 
sand  dollars,  and  the  same  amount  is  continued  for 
the  present  year."  (Journal,  p.  276.)  But  the  con- 
ference adopted  a  report,  which,  while  it  is  true  in 
its  statements,  seemed  to  rebuke  the  book  agents  at 
New  York  for  making  the  dividends  named,  and  was 
construed  to  effect  their  abolishment  at  the  close  of 
the  year,  since  which  the  conferences  have  received 
no  dividends.  (See  Journal,  p.  372.)  This  subject 
will  probably  come  up  for  consideration  some  day, 
when  this  fact  may  be  of  importance. 

Our  educational  institutions  suffered  somewhat  by 
so  many  of  their  pupils  going  to  the  war,  but  they 
generally  held  on  and  prospered. 

ANOTHER  REASON  FOR  CONGRATULATION. 

As  before  indicated,  the  last  General  Conference 
adjourned  with  a  war  cloud  gathering   in  the  South 


THE  CHURCH  AND  COUNTRY.  509 

that  filled  all  hearts  with  alarm.  The  struggle  came, 
and  progressed  with  various  fortunes.  The  President 
did  not  understand  God  at  the  first;  nor  did  the  peo- 
ple generally.  The  slaves  did.  They  regarded  Massa 
Linkum  as  their  Moses,  divinely  called  and  commis- 
sioned to  deliver  them,  and  they  were  ready  to  help 
him,  if  he  would  allow  them.  But  that  would  not  do. 
The  prevailing  idea,  for  a  long  time,  was  to  put  down 
the  rebellion  without  disturbing  slavery,  and  the  war 
was  conducted  on  that  policy.  But  it  was  an  error, 
and  disasters  multiplied,  until  many  of  the  people, 
and  finally  the  President  and  the  officers,  were  made 
to  see,  if  they  would  have  God's  help,  they  must 
accept  his  policy,  and  ''let  the  people  go,"  and  fight 
for  themselves.  Many  saw  this  from  the  beginning; 
but  how  slowly  and  reluctantly  the  leaders  came  to 
accept  victory  on  these  terms  !  They  were  brought 
to  it,  like  Pharaoh,  by  defeat  and  trouble.  But  the 
day  they  reached  the  point  and  proclaimed  uncondi- 
tional emancipation  (January  1,  1863),  and  converted 
the  chattels  of  the  rebels  into  soldiers,  God's  arm 
was  made  bare.  Till  then  he  had  only  given  our 
armies  success  enough  to  keep  them  from  complete 
discouragement,  and  to  indicate  whom  he  had  chosen 
to  plan  and  lead  the  battle.  Now,  that  the  object  of 
the  war  was  gained,  and  no  compromise  involving  a 
retraction  of  the  great  act  of  justice  and  freedom 
was  possible,  the  way  to  victory  was  open.  God 
could  now  conduct  his  chosen  and  commissioned 
Grant,  and  his  subordinates,  to  certain  victory,  by 
methods,  unknown  to  books,  that  made  old  warriors 
tremble  in  their  boots. 

General  Grant  reached  Washington  from  the  West, 


510  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

to  receive  his  commission  as  "Lieutenant-General 
of  the  Armies  of  the  United  States,"  March  8,  1864. 
Arranging  his  plans,  he  announced  his  head-quarters 
to  be  "on  the  field,"  and,  on  the  5th  of  May,  he 
was  on  M'Clellan's  old  ground  fighting  Lee.  A 
false  report  reached  the  conference  that  Lee  had  sur- 
rendered. O,  what  a  tumult!  Such  an  outburst  of 
joy  was  scarcely  ever  heard  from  a  thousand  people. 
The  mistake  was  soon  corrected,  though  nobody 
doubted  that  it  ought  to  have  been  true,  or  that 
the  event  would  soon  transpire,  and  it  did  in  less 
than  a  year,  April  9,  1865.  Thus,  abolition  which 
had  given  the  General  Conference  so  much  trouble, 
became  a  fact  by  the  Providence  of  God  and  the 
armies  of  the  Republic. 

In  this  state  of  affairs  it  was  not  difficult  to  change 
the  general  rule  of  our  Discipline  to  prohibit  slave- 
holding  under  any  circumstances.      (See  ^[  347.) 

USEFUL    MODIFICATIONS. 

Special  legislation  for  the  arrest  of  a  particular 
individual  or  case  is  generally  unwise.  We  have 
several  specimens  of  it  connected  with  our  history 
which  fully  substantiate  this  statement.  The  repeal 
of  the  supernumerary  relation  in  i860  is  an  instance 
of  this  kind.  Four  year's  experience  without  it  were 
sufficient  to  reveal  the  mistake,  and  it  was  restored 
in  1864.  Like  every  other  provision,  it  may  be  per- 
verted to  an  illegitimate  purpose ;  but  that  is  not  suf- 
ficient reason  for  its  repeal.  If  conferences  make  an 
improper  use  of  it,  and  give  preachers  that  relation 
who  are  not  entitled  to  it,  let  them  be  reproved,  but 
never  repeal  a  good  rule  to  accommodate  the  cow- 


THE  CHURCH  AND  COUNTRY,  5  1 1 

ardice  or  infidelity  of  a  conference.  And  for  a  con- 
ference to  ask  a  man  to  locate  after  voting  him  super- 
numerary is  certainly  not  treating  him,  or  themselves, 
with  proper  respect.  If  he  is  really  effective,  pro- 
nouce  him  so,  and  give  him  work,  when,  if  he  is  so 
''secular"  that  he  will  not  do  it,  he  will  locate,  or 
he  may  be  fairly  located  without  his  consent. 

This  conference  extended  the  time  of  ministerial 
service  to  three  years,  whether  wisely  or  not  the 
reader  can  judge.  It  also  relaxed  the  rigidity  of  our 
rule  with  regard  to  class-meetings,  which  has  proba- 
bly increased  our  membership  more  than  our  piety. 
We  are  not  quite  sure,  however,  but  as  large  a  pro- 
portion of  our  members  attend  on  this  means  of 
grace  now  as  did  before.  The  change  seemed  to  us  at 
the  time  to  be  in  the  wrong  direction ;  but  in  many 
Churches,  class-meetings,  we  are  glad  to  believe,  are 
gaining  favor. 

OF    DELEGATES    AND    BISHOPS,    ETC. 

The  conference  was  honored  by  the  presence  of 
Rev.  W.  L.  Thornton,  M.  A.,  delegate  from  the 
British  Conference.  Delegates  from  other  branches 
of  the  Wesleyan  family  were  also  received  with  fra- 
ternal greetings,  indicating  a  marked  improvement  in 
the  feeling  of  the  family  circle,  which  has  warmed 
into  closer  fellowship  ever  since.  So  may  it  continue 
to  be,  until  there  shall  be  but  one  spirit,  though 
there  may  still  be  several  bodies! 

Rev.  D.  W.  Clark,  Edward  Thomson,  and  Cal- 
vin Kingsley  were  elected  and  consecrated  bishops. 
They  all  seemed  to  enjoy  the  best  of  health,  and 
bid   fair   to   run  a   loner   and    useful   race,  but   unex- 


512  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

pectedly  finished  their  course  in  a  few  brief  years. 
We  shall  refer  to  them  again  in  connection  with 
their  death. 

OF   THE    ITINERANCY. 

We  have  spoken  elsewhere  of  the  impropriety  of 
making  no  provision  for  the  slightest  deviation  from 
our  rules  relating  to  the  time  preachers  may  remain 
in  the  same  appointment.  This  conference  took 
notice  of  several  instances  in  the  administration  of 
the  bishops  wherein  they  evaded  the  rule  to  follow 
Providence,  and  no  doubt  did  a  good  thing  for  the 
cause  of  God,  though  at  the  risk  of  being  rebuked. 
(See  Journal,  page  259.)  We  mention  this  to  em- 
phasize the  importance  of  some  relief  in  this  respect. 
To  send  forth  bishops  to  appoint  the  preachers  as 
Providential  circumstances  may  seem  to  require,  and 
yet  forbid  their  doing  it,  is  to  assume  that  Provi- 
dence or  the  bishops,  or  both,  are  not  to  be  trusted, 
and  that  a  rule  is  of  more  importance  than  any  suc- 
cess which  its  temporary  suspension  may  achieve. 
There  is  no  part  of  our  system  more  generally  ap- 
proved than  the  itinerancy,  and  the  bishop  have 
given  ample  evidence  of  their  tenacity  for  it.  They 
would  not  abuse  any  discretion  that  might  be  given 
them  to  its  detriment.  There  is  more  danger  of 
breaking  it  down  by  too  much  rigidity  than  by  too 
little.  Most  of  the  objections  we  hear,  arise  from 
special  cases  of  revival,  church  building,  etc.,  where 
no  stranger  could  take  the  work  and  carry  it  through 
like  the  pastor  who  commenced  it. 

The  conference,  however,  did  relax  a  little  in  sev- 
eral  particulars,  and  allowed  the  bishops  to  appoint 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CO  UNTR  K-  5  1 3 

men  for  a  longer  time  than  three  years  to  edit  Ziori s 
Herald,  to  act  as  chaplains  in  hospitals,  missiona- 
ries in  neglected  portions  of  cities,  etc.,  increasing 
the  exceptions,  which  were  quite  numerous  before, 
though  they  tightened  the  cords  on  the  regular 
pastors. 

OF   TEMPERANCE. 

The  disciplinary  attitude  of  our  Church  on  this 
subject  has  never  wavered.  As  far  back  as  1780, 
nearly  fifty  years  before  the  modern  temperance  re- 
vival, the  conference  asked,  "Do  we  disapprove  of 
the  practice  of  distilling  grain  into  liquor?  Shall  we 
disown  our  friends  who  will  not  renounce  the  prac- 
tice ?  Answer.  Yes."  Three  years  after,  it  asked: 
"Should  our  friends  be  permitted  to  make  spirituous 
liquors,  sell  and  drink  them  in  drams?  Answer.  By 
no  means.  We  think  it  wrong  in  its  nature  and  con- 
sequences, and  desire  all  our  preachers  to  teach  the 
people  by  precept  and  example  to  put  away  this 
evil."  Six  years  later,  drinking  intoxicating  liquor 
was  prohibited  as  a  crime,  like  drunkenness.  The 
testimony  of  the  Church  has  been  regular  from  the 
beginning,  so  that  when  the  public  agitation  of  the 
subject  commenced  in  1828,  many  Methodists  hesi- 
tated about  joining  temperance  societies,  on  the 
ground  that  our  Church  was  such  a  society.  Dr. 
Bangs  took  this  ground,  and  had  a  sharp  contest 
with  Dr.  Fisk,  Timothy  Merritt,  and  others,  and 
finally  surrendered  and  fell  into  line,  seeing  that  we 
could  not  commit  ourselves  too  fully  or  too  frequently 
to  total  abstinence.  In  18^0  it  was  made  the  duty 
of   pastors   to  preach  on   the   subject,   and   work  tQ 


5  14  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

create  such  a  public  sentiment  as  should  abolish  the 
traffic  by  legal  enactments.  Our  Church  has  been  as 
far  ahead  of  the  community  at  large,  on  this  subject, 
as  on  that  of  spiritual  religion.  Hence,  the  General 
Conference  of  1864  only  repeated  its  long-established 
sentiments  on  the  subject. 

ANOTHER    WANT    SUPPLIED. 

This  Conference  introduced  another  arrangement 
of  much  importance.  For  many  years  we  lost  val- 
uable legacies  for  the  want  of  corporate  existence 
under  the  law.  Therefore,  it  provided  for  and  ap- 
pointed a  General  Board  of  Trustees  to  receive  and 
hold  in  trust,  for  the  benefit  or  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  any  and  all  donations,  bequests,  grants, 
etc.,  made  to  said  Church,  "not  specially  designated 
or  directed."  This  board  is  now  in  charge  of  certain 
properties  to  be  appropriated  for  the  promotion  of 
specific  and  general  objects.  We  have  no  means  of 
determining  their  value.  It  is  located  at  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  and  is  a  bod)'  corporate,  and  ready  to  receive 
and  appropriate  funds  according  to  the  directions  of 
the  donors.       (Dis.,  pp.   512-514.) 

THE    CHURCH    EXTENSION   SOCIETY    FORMED. 

Many  had  long  seen  the  necessity  of  some  syste- 
matic plan  of  aiding  young  and  poor  societies  in 
erecting  churches.  They  had  studied  the  arrange- 
ments of  our  English  brethren  for  this  purpose,  but 
had  failed  to  see  how  they  could  be  made  available 
for  us  with  our  numerous  conferences  and  widely 
extended  work.  The  New  England  Conference  had 
already  organized  a  society   of  the  kind  for  its  own 


THE  CHURCH  AND  COUNTRY. 


515 


use.  But  the  necessity  was  imperative,  and  a  com- 
mittee was  raised  at  this  conference  to  consider  and 
report.  The  result  was  the  organization  of  the  so- 
ciety above  named,  to  be  located  at  Philadelphia. 
(See  Dis.,  %  395,  420.)  Rev.  Samuel  Y.  Monroe, 
D.  D.,  was  appointed  its  first  Corresponding'  Secre- 
tary. But  his  health  soon  became  impaired,  and  he 
was  unable  to  carry  out  his  plans  as  he  hoped. 
Still  he  pressed  forward,  and  was  one  day  found 
dead  near  the  railroad  track,  having  fallen  from  the 
platform,  in  his  weakness,  as  was  believed.  He  was 
an  able  man,  and  devoted  to  his  work.  Rev.  A.  J. 
Kynett,  D.  D.,  was  soon  after  appointed  to  succeed 
him,  and  has  held  the  office  ever  since. 

The  society  was  a  grand  conception,  and  was  just 
in  season  to  assist  in  meeting  the  demands  of  the 
new  and  extended  fields  that  were  about  to  claim  our 
cultivation.  Though  still  in  its  youth,  it  has  done 
a  good  work  by  its  gifts  and  labors,  especially  among 
our  lately  emancipated  brethren  of  the  South.  Its 
receipts  from  all  sources  have  been  as  follows: 


Year. 

Receipts. 

Year. 

Receipts. 

Year,     j        Receipts. 

vO  r-oo 

00  00  00 

$59,277    17 
30,961    42 

1869 
1870 
1871 

133,771  44 
169,852  18 

1872  127,920   93 

1873  137,101    78 

1874  ;  132,849  22 

The  conference  adjourned  on  the  27th  day  of  its 
session,  anticipating  a  variety  of  good  and  evil  results 
from  its  action  as  usual,  and  went  to  their  respective 
fields  to  be  surprised  to  see  how  little  the  people 
knew  or  cared  about  what  had  been  done.  Gen- 
eral Conferences  seldom   enact   prudential   rules  that 

*The  year  includes  the  receipts  of  eighteen  months. 


5  1 6  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

have  not  already  been  practically  adopted ;  and  where 
they  do  make  one,  it  soon  falls  through,  unless  it 
commends  itself  to  the  common  sense  of  the  masses. 
This  lower  house  is  a  conservative  element  in  Meth- 
odism, which  is  not  fully  appreciated.  It  is  less 
important,  therefore,  who  compose  the  General  Con- 
ference, as  we  have  sometimes  imagined.  The  great 
Church-wheel  rolls  right  on,  grinding  out  grand  spir- 
itual results,  without  seeming  to  be  much  affected  by 
the  little  modifications  which  occur  in  its  subordinate 
machinery. 

THE    WAR    OPPOSED. 

Hopeful,  as  were  many,  with  regard  to  the  coun- 
try at  the  adjournment  of  the  late  conference,  some 
were  filled  with  the  most  painful  apprehensions. 
There  was  a  large  party  of  pro-slavery  men,  em- 
bracing some  members  and  even  ministers  of  all  the 
Churches,  who  had  kept  up  one  continual  wail  of 
opposition  to  the  Government  and  the  war  from  the 
beginning.  Secret  organizations  had  been  formed  in 
the  North  in  the  interest  of  rebellion,  and  plots  for 
compromise  and  defeat  were  rife,  so  that  it  was 
difficult  to  tell  exactly  where  we  stood.  The  strength 
of  this  feeling  was  revealed  at  the  National  Demo- 
cratic Convention,  held  August  29th,  at  Chicago, 
which  nominated  General  M'Clellan  for  President, 
who  had  distinguished  himself  by  playing  fight  on 
the  Potomac,  where  Grant  was  now  fighting  in  ear- 
nest, and  successfully.  The  Ex-Rev.  C.  Chauncey 
Burr,  of  New  Jersey,  expressed  the  sentiments  of 
that  body,  no  doubt,  when  he  said : 

"The   South  could  not  honorably  lay  down  her 


THE  CHUR  CH  AND  CO  UNTR  Y.  517 

arms,  for  she  was  fighting  for  her  honor.  Two  mill- 
ions of  men  had  been  sent  down  to  the  slaughter- 
pens  of  the  South,  and  the  army  of  Lincoln  could 
not  again  be  filled,  neither  by  enlistments  nor  con- 
scription. If  he  ever  uttered  a  prayer,  it  was  that 
no  one  of  the  States  of  the  Union  should  be  con- 
quered and  subjugated." 

The  platform  of  the  Convention  was  squarely 
against  the  war,  and  was  calculated  to  cheer  the 
rebels  and  dishearten  the  North.  But  just  then,  to 
neutralize  these  traitorous  operations,  God  gave  the 
veto  to  it,  and  it  was  flashed  over  the  country, 
"Sherman  has  taken  Atlanta!"  "Farragut  has 
carried  the  defenses  of  Mobile!'  and  the  President 
called  for  thanksgiving  in  all  the  Churches,  and  along 
all  our  lines,  recognizing  our  obligations  to  the  Ruler 
of  the  universe,  and  sending  a  thrill  of  courage  to 
every  wavering  heart.  Then  came  Sheridan's  mar- 
velous triumphs  in  the  valley,  and  a  little  later,  the 
elections  in  Vermont  and  Maine,  showing  increasing 
determination  to  stand  by  the  Government.  Finally, 
the  presidential  election  arrived,  giving  M'Clellan  but 
three  States,  New  Jersey,  Delaware,  and  Kentucky, 
and  to  Lincoln  all  the  rest,  with  a  popular  majority 
of  411,228.  The  election  for  Congressmen  was  not 
less  demonstrative,  giving  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives 143  Republicans  to  41  Democrats. 

The  Winter  over,  and  various  compromises  hav- 
ing proved  abortive,  Mr.  Lincoln  entered  upon  his 
second  term  with  these  appropriate  words: 

"Fondly  do  we  hope,  fervently  do  we  pray,  that 
this  mighty  scourge  of  war  may  speedily  pass  away. 
Yet  if  God  wills  that  it  continue  until  all  the  wealth 


5  18  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

piled  by  the  bondmens'  two  hundred  and  fifty  years 
of  unrequited  toil  shall  be  sunk,  and  until  every 
drop  of  blood  drawn  with  the  lash  shall  be  paid  by 
another  drawn  with  the  sword ;  as  was  said  three  thou- 
sand years  ago,  so  still  it  must  be  said,  'The  judg- 
ments of  the  Lord  are  true  and  righteous  altogether.' 
With  malice  toward  none,  with  charity  for  all,  with 
firmness  in  the  right,  as  God  gives  us  to  see  the 
right,  let  us  strive  to  finish  the  work  we  are  in,  to 
bind  up  the  Nation's  wounds,  to  care  for  him  who 
shall  have  borne  the  battle,  and  for  his  widow  and 
his  orphan,  and  achieve  and  cherish  a  just  and  a  last- 
ing peace  among  ourselves,  and  with  all  nations." 
While  these  terrible  struggles  were  filling  the  air 
with  conflicting  reports  and  prospects,  and  more  than 
one  million  of  our  husbands,  fathers,  and  sons  were 
away  from  their  homes  fighting  for  the  Union,  the 
chances  for  religious  prosperity  were  small.  Yet  the 
work  of  God  went  steadily  on.  Grant  kept  unusu- 
ally still,  fighting  out  the  battle  on  his  own  well 
chosen  line,  bound  to  conquer  if  it  took  "all  Sum- 
mer." But  thank  God,  it  did  not.  One  night,  while 
sitting  in  his  tent  contemplating  the  situation,  feeling 
certain  of  victory,  he  received  a  little  note  from  his 
antagonist,  which  ended  the  strife.     It  read  as  follows  : 

"Headquarters  Army  Northern  Virginia,  ) 

April  9,  1865.      j 

General:  I  received  your  letter  of  this  date,  containing 
the  terms  of  surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  as 
proposed  by  you.  As  they  are  substantially  the  same  as  those 
expressed  in  your  letter  of  the  8th  inst.,  they  are  accepted.. 
I  will  proceed  to  designate  the  proper  officers  to  carry  the  stip- 
ulations into  effect.  R.  E.  Lee,  General. 
'•  Lieutenant-General,  U.  S.  Grant." 


THE  CHUR  CH  AND  CO  UN  TRY.  519 

We  have  given  this  brief  sketch  of  our  surround- 
ings at  the  time  under  consideration,  that  the  reader 
may  appreciate  the  situation,  and  give  thanks  to  God 
who  gave  us  the  victory.  But  no  pen  can  do  justice 
to  the  subject. 

OUR    LOSS    OF    MEMBERS    DURING   THE    WAR. 

Our  loss  in  numbers  in  1864  was  1,608,  making 
a  total  loss  since  the  beginning  of  the  war,  of  68,661. 
The  next  year  the  tide  turned  a  little,  and  we  gained 
6,66S.  Getting  into  better  working  condition,  and 
occupying  some  of  our  old  Southern  territory,  va- 
cated twenty  years  before  at  the  organization  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South,  we  gained  the  year 
following,    102,925;    and   in    1867,   1 13,897  members. 

OUR  REAL  CENTENARY  CELEBRATED. 

We  noticed  the  centenary  of  English  Methodism 
in  1839,  in  which  our  Church  participated.  The 
hundreth  year  of  American  Methodism  .was  now 
approaching,  and  the  General  Conference  of  1864 
resolved  to  turn  the  occasion  to  good  account,  by 
reviewing  the  mercies  of  God  to  us  as  a  people,  and 
by  the  presentation  of  pecuniary  means  for  the  better 
establishment  of  our  various  institutions,  both  con- 
nectional  and  local.  The  carrying  out  of  the  ar- 
rangement was  committed  to  the  bishops,  twelve 
preachers,  and  twelve  laymen,  whom  they  should 
appoint.  Education  and  church  extension  were  spec- 
ified as  local  objects,  two  millions  of  dollars  were 
suggested  as.  practicable,  and  the  whole  matter  was 
referred  to  the  prayerful  consideration  of  the  annual 
conferences  and  people. 


5  20  HIST  OR  Y  OF  METHODISM. 

The  committee  did  their  work  promptly  and  well, 
laying  broad  plans,  and  forming  a  net-work  of  sub- 
agencies  through  which  every  part  of  the  Church 
could  be  reached  and  interested.  The  first  Sabbath  in 
January,  1866,  was  devoted  to  religious  services,  for 
the  special  purpose  of  asking  God's  blessing  on  the 
centenary  year.  Sermons,  developing  our  providential 
origin  and  growth,  were  preached  in  most  of  our 
churches,  and  served  to  awaken  gratitude.  The  light 
that  flashed  upon  the  Church  that  day  did  for  it 
more  than  we  can  possibly  compute.  A  large  part 
of  our  people  originally  came  among  us  strangers,  hav- 
ing been  trained  in  other  denominations,  or  outside 
of  any  of  them.  Getting  converted  to  God,  they 
were  delighted,  and  joined  the  Church;  but  never 
until  the  centenary  year  had  any  real  conception  of 
its  providential  origin  or  unprecedented  growth. 
The  developments  of  that  Sabbath  and  year  fastened 
them  to  Methodism  forever. 

The  services  which  followed,  the  documents  that 
flooded  the  country,  the  united  editorial  proclamations 
of  all  our  papers,  the  movements  of  the  presiding 
elders,  conference,  and  district  committees,  all  con- 
tributed to  deepen  the  impression  and  prepare  the 
way  for  the  coming  contributions  of  the  celebration 
proper,  which  was  to  commence  on  the  first  Tuesday 
in  October,  and  continue  through  the  month. 

THE    FINANCIAL    RESULT. 

The  result  in  thank-offerings,  as  reported  to  the 
General  Conference  of  1868,  amounted  to  $8,709,- 
498.39,  or  more  than  four  times  the  amount  pro- 
posed at  the  outset.     The  committee's  ideas,  however, 


THE  CHUR  CH  AND  CO  UNTR  Y.  5  2 1 

were  not  generally  accepted  with  regard  to  the  objects 
to  be  particularly  favored.  They  preferred  connec- 
tional  objects,  while  the  contributors  inclined  to 
support  their  own  local  interests.  With  23  colleges, 
2  Biblical  Institutes,  and  75  seminaries,  none  of  which 
were  fully  furnished  with  buildings  and  funds,  and 
many  of  them  heavily  in  debt  and  embarrassed,  it 
was  not  strange  that  they  absorbed  the  most  of  what 
could  be  spared  for  education.  Besides,  there  was  a 
very  pressing  demand  for  other  institutions  that 
must  float  into  being  on  this  tide,  or  be  postponed 
for  many  years.  Then,  there  were  heavy  debts  rest- 
ing on  Churches,  that  could  only  be  met  by  taking 
advantage  of  this  extraordinary  occasion.  All  these 
and  other  local  objects  so  exhausted  the  liberality  of 
the  Church,  that  strictly  connectional  gifts  were  very 
limited.  And  it  is  probably  well  that  it  was  so. 
The  practical  benefit  to  the  denomination  was,  no 
doubt,  greater,  on  the  whole,  than  would  have  re- 
sulted from  the  course  suggested  by  the  committee. 

Nor  were  these  local  contributions  altogether 
tt/j-connectional.  The  gift  of  the  grounds  and  build- 
ings of  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Madison,  New 
Jersey,  by  Daniel  Drew,  Esq.,  costing  some  $600,000, 
was  strictly  connectional ;  and  Heck  Hall,  at  Evanston, 
Illinois,  erected  in  commemoration  of  the  mother  of 
American  Methodism,  being  148  feet  in  length,  48 
feet  in  depth,  six  stories  high,  and  crowned  with  a 
Mansard  roof,  must  be  regarded  as  monumental,  to 
say  nothing  of  other  establishments. 

The  contributions  to  the  ' '  Connectional  Educa- 
tion Fund,"  received  by  the  committee,  amounted 
to  $12,000,   while   those   to  the   "Children's  Fund" 

44 


522  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  THODISM. 

reached  the  sum  of  $59,523.49.  These  moneys  were 
intrusted  to  a  board  of  education,  which  was  ap- 
pointed, and  duly  organized  January  1,  1870,  to  look 
after  the  general  educational  interests  of  the  Church, 
and  to  hold  and  administer  all  funds  that  might  be 
given  to  the  Church  as  such  for  educational  purposes. 
The  report  of  this'  board,  presented  to  the  General 
Conference  in  1872,  shows  the  Children's  Fund  to 
have  been,  at  that  date,  $83,785.66,  and  the  General 
Educational  Fund  $15,727.78;  total,  $99,543.44. 

This  opened  another  outlet  to  the  benevolence 
of  a  humane  and  Christian  people  who  are  interested 
in  the  education  of  poor  young  men  for  usefulness. 
The  arrangement  was  timely,  and  has  done  good, 
and  will  continue  to  dispense  its  blessings,  we  trust, 
in  the  ages  to  come.  Some  will  take  more  interest 
in  this  branch  of  our  charities  than  in  any  other. 

THE  FREEDMEN'S  AID   SOCIETY. 

The  collapse  of  the  Rebellion  in  1865  introduced 
to  the  sympathy  of  the  North  more  than  four  mill- 
ions of  colored  freemen,  without  houses  or  lands  or 
schools,  and  without  the  respect  or  pity  of  many  of 
their  old  masters.  Here  was  a  loud  call  for  help,  to 
which  the  Churches  in  the  free  States  generally  and 
nobly  responded,  by  furnishing  supplies  of  food  and 
raiment,  preachers,  teachers,  and  books.  But  the 
most  of  the  older  colored  Christians,  having  been 
converted  in  their  bondage  by  Methodist  agencies, 
and  carried  away  into  the  Church  South,  naturally 
gravitated  toward  their  abolition  Methodist  friends 
of  the  North.  Though  they  could  not  read,  they 
understood  the  issues  of  the   hour  as  well  as  white 


THE  CHUR  CH  AND  CO  UN  TR  Y.  523 

folks,  and  knew  who  were  their  real  friends.  This 
circumstance,  with  others,  rendered  a  Methodist 
society  for  their  benefit  necessary,  and  one  was, 
therefore,  organized  in  the  Autumn  of  1866,  and 
called  ''The  Freedmen's  Aid  Society."  During  the 
following  eighteen  months  it  collected  and  expended 
more  than  sixty  thousand  dollars.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  it  was  employing  seventy -five  teachers,  and 
giving  instruction  to  twelve  thousand  pupils,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  help  it  afforded  in  other  respects. 
Reporting  itself  and  its  work  to  the  General  Confer- 
ence of  1872,  that  body  indorsed  and  adopted  it,  as 
many  of  the  annual  conferences  had  done  before, 
placing  it  by  the  side  of  our  missionary  and  other 
benevolent  societies,  and  commending  it  to  the  lib- 
erality of  the  people.  It  was  well  thought  of,  and 
will  need  to  be  sustained  for  some  years  to  come,  in 
order  to  accomplish  its  noble  purposes.  Its  collec- 
tions have  been  as  follows : 

SUMMARY ANNUAL    COLLECTIONS. 

1868,  First    year,  total  contributions $37,139  89 

1869,  Second   "  "  "  50,167  24 

1870,  Third      »  "  "  *93»5I3  5° 

1871,  Fourth    "  "  "  ^82,719  49 

1872,  Fifth       "  "  "  5^56843 

1873,  Sixth       "  "  "  55^34  98 

1874,  Sev'nth  "  "  "  66,995  74 

1875,  Eighth  "  "  "  86,56033 

Total $523,799  60 

NEW  SOUTHERN   CONFERENCES. 

The  circumstances  which  demanded  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Freedmen's  Aid  Society  required,  also, 
the   resumption    of   the   pastoral   supervision    of   the 

*  Including  appropriations  from  Freedmen's  Bureau. 


5  24  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  METHODISM. 

freedmen  themselves.  The  General  Conference  of 
1864,  foreseeing  their  deliverance  by  faith,  made  pro- 
vision for  this,  by  authorizing  the  bishops  to  organize 
Southern  Conferences  so  soon  as  the  way  should  be 
opened  and  they  should  deem  it  expedient.  The 
Missionary  Committee  anticipated  the  demand  also, 
and  provided  for  it.  Lee  surrendered,  April  9,  1865, 
about  eleven  months  after  the  adjournment  of  that 
conference,  when  the  bishops,  true  to  their  instruc- 
tions, entered  the  field,  and  organized  the  Holston 
Conference,  June  5,  1865  ;  the  Mississippi,  December 
25,  1865;  South  Carolina,  April  2,  1866;  Tennes- 
see, October  3,  1866;  Texas,  January  3,  1867; 
Georgia,  October  10,  1867;  and  Alabama,  October 
17,  1867.  Reporting  these  proceedings  to  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  of  1868,  they  claimed  for  the  new 
conferences  373  traveling  preachers,  and  90,071  mem- 
bers, besides  a  gain  in  Kentucky,  Missouri,  and 
Arkansas,  in  four  years,  of  177  traveling  preachers, 
and  27,225  members.  The  General  Conference  of 
1868  added  to  the  list  Louisiana,  North  Carolina,  St. 
Louis,  Virginia,  and  Wilmington  Conferences.  These 
conferences  have  shared  very  largely  in  our  mis- 
sionary appropriations,  amounting  in  1875  to  nearly 
$33,000.  These  facts  show  that  the  old  sympathy 
of  our  Church  for  this  injured  people  is  not  abated. 

THE  LADIES'    AND   PASTORS'   UNION. 

But  Christian  enterprise  was  not  confined  to'  the 
conferences  or  to  ministers.  War  always  generates 
some  new  ideas.  That  of  the  Rebellion  aroused  the 
ladies  of  the  country  to  activities  with  which  they 
had  not  been  familiar,  and  demonstrated  their  capa- 


THE  CHURCH  AND  COUNTRY.  525 

bilities.  This  suggested  other  lines  of  action  for 
ordinary  times,  and  led  certain  ladies  of  Philadelphia 
to  organize  the  society  above  named,  to  aid  the  pas- 
tors in  evangelizing  the  degraded  masses  not  reached 
by  ordinary  means.  It  was  a  capital  thought.  Why 
should  the  pastor  do  all  the  visiting,  praying,  and 
other  work,  necessary  to  bring  sinners  to  the  Church 
and  to  Christ?  The  project  was  at  once  approved 
by  several  annual  conferences,  and  went  into  success- 
ful operation.  The  General  Conference  of  1868  gave 
it  a  smile  of  friendly  recognition;  and  that  of  1872 
took  it  into  full  connection,  and  constituted  it  a 
regular  society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Its  board  of  managers  consists  of  thirteen  ministers 
and  twelve  Christian  ladies,  appointed  by  the  General 
Conference.  (See  Journal  for  1872,  pp.  391-393.) 
Mrs.  Annie  Wittenmyer  is  its  popular  and  efficient 
corresponding  secretary,  and  is  well  known  to  the 
Church.  If  the  preachers  will  encourage  this  move- 
ment, it  must  become  a  powerful  agency  for  good. 
Methodism  has  been  distinguished  for  welcoming 
all  available  agencies  in  carrying  on  the  work  of 
God.  It  has  particularly  recognized  the  capabilities 
of  woman,  and  it  is  gratifying  to  see  that  increasing 
numbers  and  wealth  have  created  no  disposition  to 
restrict  her  liberties.  Though  the  Church  has  not 
provided  for  the  induction  of  ladies  into  the  minis- 
try, she  has  laid  no  embargo  upon  their  preaching, 
if  God  calls  and  the  people  desire  to  hear  them. 
This  new  organization  only  professes  to  do  more 
systematically  and  thoroughly,  just  what  has  been 
attempted  by  a  few  isolated  individuals.  God  speed 
the  enterprise! 


526  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

THE    GENERAL    CONFERENCE    OF    1 868. 

The  opening  of  this  conference  developed  other 
important  facts  connected  with  the  preceding  four 
years;  but,  before  adverting  to  them,  let  us  glance 
at  Chicago,  the  place  of  its  meeting.  In  1831,  it 
was  a  little  settlement,  situated  at  the  extreme  north 
of  civilization,  without  one  Methodist,  but  not  be- 
yond the  range  of  Methodist  enterprise.  It  was  that 
year  made  a  mission,  and  Jesse  Walker,  the  hero 
of  many  victories  in  the  Western  wilderness,  was 
appointed  to  take  charge  of  it.  In  1834,  the  Chi- 
cago mission  reported  forty  members.  Six  years 
later,  it  embraced  one  hundred  and  -fifty  white 
and  four  colored  members.  At  the  session  of  the 
General  Conference,  it  contained  eleven  Methodist 
Churches  and  one  mission,  holding  property  esti- 
mated at  $735,600,   and  numbering  2,315  members. 

The  General  Conference  never  met  so  far  West 
before,  or  under  so  peculiar  circumstances.  Bishop 
Janes  had  attended  the  British  and  Irish  Conferences; 
Bishop  Thomson  had  visited  our  missions  in  China 
and  India,  and  organized  the  latter  into  an  annual 
conference;  Bishop  Kingsley  had  visited  Germany, 
Switzerland,  and  Scandinavia;  besides,  the  bishops 
had  organized  four  German  conferences  in  this 
country,  for  the  better  management  of  the  German 
work,  in  addition  to  the  Southern  conferences  before 
named.  Our  increase  in  members  in  the  four  pre- 
ceding years  was  222,687,  exceeding  all  precedent 
except  in  a  single  instance.  We  had  also  gained 
1,691  Church  edifices,  and  $15,054,885  in  the  value 
of  our  Church  property.     There  had  been,  too,  a  net 


THE   CHURCH  AND    COUNTRY. 


527 


addition  of  717  parsonages,  giving  us  an  increase  in 
the  net  value  of  that  class  of  requisites  to  the  amount 
of  #2,571,145,  making  the  increase  of  our  property 
in  four  years  more  than  the  entire  accumulation  dur- 
ing the  first  ninety  years  of  our  history. 

Our  educational  interests  were  not  less  pros- 
perous. The  Concord  theological  school  had  been 
removed  to  Boston  and  opened  under  improved 
auspices;  the  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  at  Evanston, 
Illinois,  had  erected  a  splendid  hall;  and  the  Drew 
Theological  Seminary  had  been  established  and  was 
in  successful  operation,  with  ample  means  to  meet 
its  expenses.  Besides  these,  three  other  similar 
institutions  had  been  started,  namely:  The  Baker 
Theological  Institute,  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina; 
the  Thomson  Biblical  Institute,  at  New  Orleans, 
with  four  professors  each;  and  the  Martin  Mission 
Institute,  at  Bremen,  with  three  professors. 

Our  increase  in  Sabbath-school  scholars  was  241,- 
819,  and  in  missionary  collections  more  than  double 
any  preceding  quadrennium.  From  i860  to  1864, 
they  amounted  to  $1,153,041;  but  during  the  fol- 
lowing four  years  to  1868,  they  footed  $2,457,548; 
yet,  owing  to  the  demands  of  our  expanding  work, 
the  treasury  was  in  debt,  which  is  no  disgrace  to  an 
enterprising  people.  It  is  wise  to  work  well  up  to 
our  capacity,  and  not  allow  much  money  or  talent 
to  remain  idle. 

ACTION    ON    MISSIONARY    CONFERENCES. 

The  foreign  missionary  and  Southern  conferences 
established  or  provided  for  by  the  action  of  the 
General    Conference    of    1864,    were    "to    possess   all 


528  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

the  rights,  powers,  and  privileges  of  other  annual 
conferences,  except  those  of  sending  delegates  to 
the  General  Conference,  and  of  drawing  an  annual 
dividend  from  the  avails  of  the  Book  Concern  and 
Chartered  Fund,  and  of  voting  on  constitutional 
changes  proposed  in  the  Discipline."  (Journal,  p. 
138.)  Understanding  this,  but  wishing  to  present 
their  interests  to  the  consideration  of  the  General 
Conference,  they  elected  representatives  to  be  pres- 
ent for  this  purpose.  This  brought  up  the  question 
of  their  admission.  After  much  discussion,  it  was 
voted:  1.  To  repeal  the  action  of  the  General  Con- 
ference of  1864,  which  restricted  the  rights  and  priv- 
ileges of  the  said  mission  conferences.  2.  To  invest 
said  conferences  with  all  the  rights,  privileges,  and 
immunities  usual  to  annual  conferences.  3.  To  admit 
such  provisional  delegates  elected  by  said  conferences 
to  full  membership  in  the  General  Conference,  on 
the  presentation  of  the  requisite  credentials.  4.  To 
approve  of  the  credentials  of  twelve  such  delegates, 
and  admit  them  to  seats  in  that  body. 

Among  these  delegates  were  several  colored  breth- 
ren, lately  emancipated,  and  a  missionary  from  India. 
The  welcome  of  these  brethren  and  the  conferences 
they  represented  was  most  cordial.  Some,  however, 
doubted  the  right  of  the  conference  to  admit  them. 
The  Discipline  required  that  delegates  should  be 
elected  as  such  by  an  annual  conference ;  but  these 
mission  conferences,  it  was  claimed,  were  not  annual 
conferences  in  the  sense  of  the  Discipline.  They 
were  candidates  for  that  honor,  under  specific  restric- 
tion excluding  them  from  representation  in  General 
Conference.     They,  therefore,  had  no  right  to  choose 


THE   CHURCH  AND    COUNTRY. 


529 


delegates;  besides,  it  was  claimed  that  they  did  not 
choose  any,  but  "representatives"  only,  as  is  often 
done  by  official  boards  where  they  have  something 
special  to  carry  at  their  annual  conference.  It  was 
also  claimed  that  some  of  the  delegates  had  not  trav- 
eled "four  full  calendar  years,"  as  required  by  the 
Discipline,  and  therefore  were  not  eligible  to  seats, 
even  if  they  had  been  elected  in  due  form;  but  all 
this  was  of  no  account  in  the  presence  of  such  an 
opportunity  to  rebuke  defunct  slavery  and  its  cruel 
prejudice  against  color,  and  to  throw  our  arms 
around  its  redeemed  victims  and  lift  them  into 
deserved  fellowship.  The  repeal  of  the  restriction 
mentioned  no  doubt  entitled  the  conferences  to  rep- 
resentation, but  did  not  allow  them  opportunity  to 
elect  delegates  for  that  occasion,  or  give  the  General 
Conference  authority  to  elect  for  them — that  is,  so 
some  argued;  besides,  they  doubted  the  propriety 
of  allowing  conferences  so  distant  as  Liberia  and 
India  to  send  delegates.  They  believed  it  would 
involve  a  loss  of  time  and  an  outlay  of  money 
which  the  benefits  would  not  compensate;  but  an 
overwhelming  majority  took  other  views,  and  the 
measure  was  put  through  with  a  rush,  we  trust 
for  the  furtherance  of  the  Gospel.  (See  Daily  Advo- 
cate, 1868.) 

OTHER    INCIDENTS    OF   THE    SESSION. 

We  have  not  attempted  to  narrate  every  incident 
of  any  one  conference.  The  ordinary  routine  of 
business  involves  a  great  variety  of  subjects,  and  dis- 
cussions of  no  public  interest.  One  General  Confer- 
ence   had    under    consideration    nearly  five    hundred 

45 


530  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

resolutions,  though  it  adopted  only  about  eighty. 
Memorials  and  petitions  are  never  wanting,  and  have 
to  be  treated  with  respect.  Besides,  there  are  gen- 
erally more  or  less  appeals  from  the  decisions  of 
annual  conferences  which  have  to  be  tried.  But  few 
of  these  transactions  produce  any  serious  modifica- 
tion of  discipline  or  administration.  Much  time  is 
given  also  to  the  reception  of  delegates  and  letters 
from  fraternizing  Churches,  embracing  at  present 
most  of  the  evangelical  denominations.  Rev.  Will- 
iam Morley  Punshon  represented  the  British  Con- 
ference at  our  General  Conference  in  1868  with 
much  credit  to  all  concerned.  Bishop  Ames  and 
Rev.  R.  S.  Foster,  now  Bishop  Foster,  were  ap- 
pointed to  reciprocate  his  visit.  Bishop  Ames, 
finding  it  inconvenient  to  attend  to  the  duties  of  this 
appointment,  they  were  imposed  upon  Bishop  Simp- 
son, who,  with  his  colleague,  carried  out  the  arrange- 
ment with  equal  honor  to  themselves  and  their  con- 
stituents.     (See  Journal,  1872,  p.  462.) 

This  conference  made  several  changes  in  the  Dis- 
cipline, providing  for  the  appointment  of  preachers 
more  than  three  years  as  temperance  agents,  chaplains 
to  reformatory,  sanitary,  and  charitable  institutions. 
(See.  Dis.  •[  219);  the  reception  of  ministers  from 
other  evangelical  Churches  (Dis.  %  209) ;  the  ap- 
pointment of  one  Book  Committee  instead  of  two 
(Dis.  ^f  438),  etc.  After  a  session  of  thirty-two 
days,  it  adjourned,  with  72  conferences,  9  bishops, 
8,004  traveling  preachers,  an^  1,146,081  members. 


GR  0  WTH  AND  PR  0  GRESS.  5  3 1 


CHAPTER  XV. 

METHODISM     A     GRAND     FACT PROGRESS     FROM     1 868     TO 

1872 THE    GENERAL   CONFERENCE  OF    1872 DFATH    OF 

FOUR  BISHOPS NEW  BISHOPS  ELECTED THE  MISSIONARY 

CAUSE NUMERICAL  PROGRESS   OF    THE    CHURCH — OTHER 

EVIDENCES    OF   GROWTH STATISTICS    OF     ALL    THE    CON- 
FERENCES  EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS. 

FROM  what  has  been  said,  it  must  be  conceded 
that  Methodism,  with  all  its  mistakes  and  de- 
fects, is  "one  of  the  grandest  facts  in  the  history  of 
the  Christian  Church."  One  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  years  ago  it  had  no  organized  existence. 
To-day  it  probably  enrolls  a  larger  number  of  com- 
municants than  any  Church  in  Christendom  not  sup- 
ported by  State  patronage,  and  yet  there  seems  to 
be  no  real  abatement  in  its  triumphs.  "It  has  liter- 
ally girded  the  globe  with  its  far-reaching  and  benef- 
icent agencies.  To  God,  who  originated  it  and  has 
guided  its  labors,  be  all  the  glory. 

But  we  are  not  quite  ready  to  sum  up  and  pres- 
ent our  case  in  its  full  magnitude.  From  1868,  the 
work  steadily  progressed,  yielding  liberal  results  in 
all  the  evidences  of  success.  Sinners  were  converted 
in  great  numbers,  so  that  our  net  increase  in  the 
four  following  years,  that  is,  from  1867  to  1871,  was 
275,242  members;  which  was  52,531  more  than  we 
gained  during  the  four  years  last  preceding.      In  the 


5  3  2  HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  ME  THODISM. 

mean  time  we  increased  1,695  traveling  preachers, 
and  1,913  local  preachers;  2,319  church  edifices; 
adding  to  the  value  of  our  net  church  property  $21,- 
024,461.  Besides,  we  added  739  parsonages,  increas- 
ing the  value  of  our  parsonage  property  $2,425,509. 
And  most  of  these  churches  are  free,  and  are  less 
in  debt  relatively  than  our  poorer  churches  were 
eighteen  years  before.  And  we  feel  safe  in  saying 
that  free  churches  are  gaining  favor  rapidly,  as  is  the 
voluntary  principle  in  meeting  church  expenses. 

Our  benevolences  have  not  increased  so  largely, 
yet  they  have  advanced,  as  will  be  seen  by  referring 
to  our  schedules  of  receipts  given  elsewhere. 

THE    WOMAN'S    FOREIGN    MISSIONARY    SOCIETY. 

Missionary  work  in  heathen  lands  has  always  been 
obstructed  by  customs  which  exclude  heathen  women 
from  hearing  the  Gospel  from  the  other  sex.  This 
suggested  to  benevolent  ladies  to  undertake  the  rescue 
of  these  women  by  female  agency,  and  after  much 
deliberation  they  organized  the  society  above  named, 
March  30,  1869,  especially  for  this  purpose.  Appear- 
ing at  the  General  Conference  of  1872  by  memorials 
and  committee,  that  body  indorsed  the  measure,  and 
commended  it  to  the  patronage  of  the  whole  Church. 
It  is  undoubtedly  another  agency  for  good,  and  will 
contribute  to  swell  the  tide  of  grace  at  home  and 
abroad.  It  is  designed  to  work  in  harmony  with  our 
General  Missionary  Society,  and  all  our  other  appli- 
ances. Its  organization  is  very  complete  for  the 
time  it  has  been  in  operation,  extending  its  agencies 
all  over  the  country,  enlisting  many  ladies  who  have 
the  time  and   ability  to  render  it   important  service. 


GROWTH  AND  PR  O  GRESS.  533 

It  has  1,839  auxiliaries;  54,160  members;  publishes 
The  Heathen  Woman  s  Friend;  supports  19  mission- 
aries, 100  schools,  108  Bible  women  and  teachers, 
150  orphans;  and  raised,  in  1874,  $55,406.26.  It 
has  done  a  noble  work,  and  is  destined  to  be  a  pow- 
erful agency  in  Christianizing  the  heathen  world. 

And  while  I  am  writing  of  missions,  I  may  as 
well  anticipate  another  point  suggested  by  the  follow- 
ing heading: 

THE    MANAGEMENT    OF     OUR    BENEVOLENCES    IMPROVED. 

We  have  already  hinted  at  the  organization  of 
our  parent  benevolent  societies,  each  of  which  was 
first  largely  managed  by  boards  selected  by  them- 
selves. This  imposed  great  responsibility  upon  a 
few  persons  in  and  about  New  York  and  Philadel- 
phia, and  left  other  parts  of  the  Church  little  to  do 
in  the  matter  except  to  furnish  the  funds.  Seeing 
that  such  an  arrangement  was  liable  to  give  dissatis- 
faction, measures  were  devised  to  bring  all  our  benev- 
olences under  the  control  of  the  General  Confer- 
ence. By  an  arrangement  of  its  last  session  that  body 
now  appoints  the  boards  and  exercises  certain  juris- 
diction with  regard  to  benevolent  appropriations  that 
seem  to  respect  the  rights  of  all  parties,  and  insure 
a  wise  administration.  The  measure  had  long  been 
contemplated  with  favor,  for  reasons  which  we  need 
not  state,  but  appeared  impertinent,  so  long  as  that 
body  was  composed  of  ministers  only.  It  would 
have  seemed  to  be  an  immodest  assumption  of  power. 
But  when  laymen  came  to  represent  their  own  inter- 
ests the  difficulty  was  removed,  and  the  plan  was 
adopted.     (Dis.  pp.  3^7-375-) 


534  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Now,  the  whole  Church,  as  such,  ministers  and 
laymen,  control  every  thing  through  the  General 
Conference, .  by  the  General  Missionary  Committee, 
and  the  boards  it  appoints  and  instructs ;  and  the 
boards  represent  the  whole  Church  rather  than  the 
localities  where  they  assemble,  and  are  less  liable  to 
be  influenced  by  personal  considerations  and  local 
affinities.  And  yet  they  are  not  above  the  people, 
who  will  furnish  the  funds  no  longer  than  they  can 
see  that  they  are  expended  with  propriety.  We  are 
glad  to  make  this  concession  to  centralization,  which 
we  think  objectionable  in  certain  other  applications. 

OF  THE  GENERAL  COXFERENXE  OF  1 872. 

The  sixteenth  General  Conference  was  convened 
in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  from  May  1st  to  June  4th, 
and  consisted  of  292  clerical,  and  129  lay  delegates. 
We  have  sufficiently  noticed  a  leading  topic  of  the 
session,  in  treating  of  lay  delegation.  Another, 
hardly  less  interesting,  was  the  famous  excitement 
about  the  Book  Concern,  to  which  I  shall  glance  in 
giving  an  outline  of  the  history  of  that  institution. 
I  have  already  referred  by  anticipation,  perhaps  with 
sufficient  fullness,  to  several  other  matters  upon  which 
it  passed.  It  was  especially  distinguished  for  estab- 
lishing "  District  Conferences,"  to  go  into  effect  when 
and  where  the  quarterly  conference  of  any  district 
should  request  it  by  a  vote  of  the  majority.  The 
plan  constitutes  the  traveling  and  local  preachers, 
exhorters,  district  stewards,  and  the  first  Sunday- 
school  superintendent  of  each  charge  members,  re- 
quires them  to  convene  twice  a  year,  and  do  a  large 
part  of  the  business  heretofore  done  by  the  quarterly 


GR  0  WTH  AND  PR  0  GRESS.  535 

conferences.  (See  Dis.,  pp.  60-63.)  Some  of  the 
districts  have  approved  of  it,  and  the  plan  is  now  in 
process  of  experiment.  It  is  evidently  favored  from 
different  considerations.  Many  think  it  will  be  useful 
in  keeping  out  of  the  ministry  a  class  of  men  who 
found  their  way  into  it  too  easily  through  the 
quarterly  conferences.  Others  hope  that  the  balance 
of  the  business  of  the  quarterly  conferences  will  be 
transferred  to  the  district  conferences,  and  pastors 
appointed  to  preside  over  them,  and  thus  supersede 
the  presiding  eldership  in  such  districts  as  may  feel 
that  the}r  have  little  need  of  them.  But  still  others 
favor  the  measure,  believing  that  it  will  dignify  the 
presiding  eldership,  and  render  it  more  useful  and 
acceptable  to  all  concerned.  The  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  South,  which  originated  the  scheme, 
speaks  favorably  of  the  district  conference  meetings, 
yet  ominously  suggests  that  if  they  shall  operate  to 
depreciate  the  quarterly-meeting  conferences,  they 
will  prove  injurious  rather  than  helpful.  The  plan 
will  evidently  need  considerable  modification  to  be- 
come generally  popular.  But  it  is  safe,  being  left 
optional  with  each  district  to  adopt  it  or  not. 

THE    MINARD    HOME. 

The  reader  of  these  pages  must  have  been  im- 
pressed with  the  Providential  origin  of  most  of  our 
institutions.  Another  instance  is  found  in  this 
Home.  Abel  Minard,  of  Morristown,  New  Jersey, 
who  died  January  31,  1871,  was  moved  to  leave  a 
house  and  lot  in  Morristown,  probably  worth  fifty 
thousand  dollars,  to  be  used  as  a  home  for  female  chil- 
dren of  our  foreign  missionaries,  and  for  female  orphans 


536  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

and  half  orphans  of  other  ministers  of  our  Church. 
The  institution  being  presented  to  this  General  Con- 
ference, out  of  debt,  and  without  funds,  was  accepted 
and  commended  to  the  patronage  of  the  Church.  It 
is  probably  the  beginning  of  an  establishment  that 
will  be  found  very  useful.  The  Church  that  cares 
for  orphans  will  never  die.      (Journal  pp.   353,  374.) 

MORTALITY    AMONG   THE    BISHOPS. 

This  Conference  was  remarkable  also  for  its  funeral 
records.  Four  bishops  had  fallen  and  were  honored 
with  appropriate  memorial  services. 

Bishop  Osmon  C.  Baker  was  born  at  Marlow, 
New  Hampshire,  July  30,  181 3;  graduated  at  the 
Wesleyan  University  in  1834;  became  a  member  of 
the  New  Hampshire  Conference,  in  which  he  served 
three  years  as  pastor,  one  as  presiding  elder,  but 
more  as  teacher  in  Newbury  Seminary  and  the  Theo- 
logical Institute,  at  Concord.  In  1852,  he  was  elected 
bishop.  Four  years  after,  he  was  stricken  with  paralysis 
of  his  throat  and  lungs,  while  traveling  in  the  moun- 
tains, from  which  he  never  recovered.  December  20, 
1 87 1,  he  calmly  fell  asleep  in  Jesus.  He  was  a  sincere, 
pious,  modest  man ;  a  good  preacher,  teacher,  and  pre- 
siding officer,  understood  theology  and  the  Methodist 
economy  better  than  most  men,  and  was  generally 
beloved. 

Bishop  Davis  W.  Clark  was  bom  in  the  Island 
of  Mount  Desert,  off  the  coast  of  Maine,  February 
25,  1 81 2.  He  was  early  converted,  and  in  1836 
graduated  from  the  Wesleyan  University.  After 
teaching  awhile  at  Amenia  Seminary,  he  joined  the 
New  York  Conference  in  1843,  and  continued  in  the 


GR  0  WTH  AND  PR  0  GRESS.  537 

pastoral  work  till  1852,  when  he  was  elected  editor 
of  "The  Ladies'  Repository."  In  1864  he  was 
elected  bishop,  and  gave  himself  fully  to  the  episco- 
pal work.  Six  years  after,  his  health  began  to  fail ; 
but  he  worked  on  under  great  weakness,  till  he  could 
do  no  more,  and  was  carried  to  his  home,  where  he 
closed  his  life,  May  23,  1871,  in  the  bosom  of  his 
family,  nearly  sixty  years  of  age.  He  was  a  strong, 
decided,  Christian  man,  minister,  and  bishop,  and 
filled  every  position  he  was  called  to  occupy  with 
honor  and  usefulness.  His  closing  words  were,  "The 
Lord  is  my  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present 
help  in  time  of  trouble.      Amen,  amen." 

Bishop  Edward  Thomson  was  born  in  Portsea, 
England,  October  12,  18 10,  and,  eight  years  after, 
came  to  this  country  with  his  parents,  and  lived  in 
Wooster,  Ohio.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  graduated, 
and  began  the  practice  of  medicine.  Two  years 
after,  he  was  converted;  and,  in  1832,  joined  the 
Ohio  Conference,  and  spent  six  years  in  the  pastoral 
service  ;  five  as  principal  of  Norwalk  Seminary ;  tzco 
as  editor  of  "The  Ladies'  Repository;"  fourteen  as 
president  of  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University,  and  four 
as  the  editor  of  the  Christian  Advocate,  terminating 
in  1864,  when  he  was  elected  bishop.  On  his  way 
to  the  Pittsburg  Conference  he  was  seized  with  pneu- 
monia in  the  city  of  Wheeling,  and  passed  from  labor 
to  reward,  March  22,  1870,  before  any  one  of  his 
family  could  reach  him.  Bishop  Thomson  was  a 
man  of  deep  piety,  fine  taste,  tender  heart,  extensive 
reading,  a  charming  preacher  and  writer,  and  gener- 
ally beloved.  He  lived  just  at  the  time  and  place 
where   his  rare   talents   were   needed,   and   could   be 


538  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

turned  to  the  best  account.  Though  small  in  stature, 
he  was  great  in  every  position  he  occupied,  even  in 
the  love  of  his  opponents.  He  did  not  have  to  seek 
popularity — he  was  made  for  it,  and  could  not  avoid 
it.  He  hardly  had  the  voice  and  presidential  bearing 
necessary  to  control  a  large  conference  of  Methodist 
preachers,  yet  he  ruled  well  even  here. 

Bishop  Calvin  Kingsley  entered  life  in  Oneida 
County,  New  York,  September  8,  1812.  It  is  rather 
remarkable  that  two  of  these  honored  bishops  were 
born  the  same  year,  and  another  less  than  two  years 
before;  and  all  died  about  the  same  time.  Bishop 
Kingsley  was  converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  gradua- 
ted at  Alleghany  College  in  1841,  immediately  became 
one  of  its  professors,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Erie  Con- 
ference. He  was  elected  editor  of  the  Western  Chris- 
tian Advocate  in  1856,  in  which  position  he  remained 
till  1864,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  bishop. 
In  the  Winter  of  1869-70,  he  went  to  China  and 
India.  On  his  way  home  he  passed  through  Pales- 
tine; and  having  secured  his  passage  from  Beyroot 
to  Constantinople,  to  visit  our  missions  in  Bulgaria, 
he  went  upon  the  house-top  to  enjoy  a  view  of  the 
Mountains  of  Lebanon.  Upon  his  return  to  his 
room,  he  was  seized  with  an  affection  of  the  heart, 
and  soon  expired.  Love  demanded  the  return  of  his 
remains  to  his  home,  but  Christian  heroism  said  no, 
let  him  sleep  where  he  fell.  So,  our  brother  Kings- 
ley  lies  in  that  far-off  land,  "held,"  says  his  eulogist, 
"by  the  heathen  as  a  hostage  till  the  Church  shall 
bring  them  to  God.  God  took  Moses  up  into  Mount 
Nebo  to  die.  So  with  Kingsley ;  the  eyes  of  the 
whole  world  were  upon  him  in  his  wonderful  journey. 


GR  0 IV TH  A  ND  PR  0  GRESS.  539 

Let  his  grave  remain  where   it   is."     (Journal,   1872, 
pp.    258-270.) 

But,  "though  God  takes  away  his  workmen,  he 
still  carries  on  his  work."  To  human  eyes,  it  would 
seem  that  such  heavy  losses  in  the  leaders  of  Israel 
must  seriously  retard  the  cause;  but  still  it  moves 
right  on,  showing  that  God  is  not  dependent  on  any 
one  man,  or  any  number  of  men — a  humiliating  fact, 
which  we  are  too  slow  to  appreciate. 

NEW  BISHOPS  ELECTED. 

In  view  of  this  heavy  drain  upon  the  Episcopal 
Board,  the  conference  elected  eight  new  bishops,  to 
wit:  Thomas  Bowman,  William  L.  Harris,  Randolph 
S.  Foster,  Isaac  W.  Wiley,  Stephen  M.  Merrill,  Ed- 
ward G.  Andrews,  Gilbert  Haven,  and  Jesse  T.  Peck. 
It  also  fixed  the  residences  of  all  the  bishops,  distrib- 
uting them  over  the  continent  from  Boston  to  San 
Francisco,  and  from  Chicago  to  Georgia,  and  not 
leaving  them  to  select  residences  for  themselves,  as 
they  had  previously  done.  This  arrangement,  how- 
ever, did  not  disturb  the  older  bishops.  Bishop 
Morris  being  released  from  full  duty,  returned  to  his 
home  in  Springfield,  Ohio,  where  he  ended  his  long 
and  useful  life  in  peace,  September  2,  1874,  in  the 
eighty-first  year  of  his  age,  and  the  sixtieth  of  his 
ministry.  "All  who  knew  him  in  the  vigor  of  his 
manhood  will  bear  witness  that  he  deserves  to  take 
rank  among  the  foremost  men  of  his  time.  To  the 
charming  simplicity,  both  of  tastes  and  manners, 
which  eminently  characterized  him  in  all  the  walks 
of  life,  he  added  the  graces  of  a  genuine  nature  and 
a  beautiful   Christian   character.     As  a  preacher,   he 


540 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


was  chaste,  sincere,  and,  many  times,  greatly  elo- 
quent. As  a  bishop,  he  was  considerate,  careful,  and 
judicious,  and  never  forgetful  of  the  most  humble  of 
his  brethren.  He  was  by  nature  reticent;  but  no 
heart  ever  throbbed  with  more  genial  and  genuine 
sympathies.  .  .  .  His  life  on  earth  was  a  beau- 
tiful round  of  charity  and  faith,  and  his  death  a  se- 
rene and  fitting  end  to  such  a  character  and  career." 
The  following  table  exhibits  a  complete  list  of  the 

BISHOPS  OF  THE   METHODIST   EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 


Born. 

Names. 

Ent'd  Mims'y 

£0 

aTO- 

1784 
1784 
1800 
1808 
1816 
1816 
1824 
1824 
1832 
1832 
1836 
1836 
1844 
1844 
1852 
1852 
1852 
1852 
1858 
1864 
1864 
1S64 
1866 
1872 
1872 
1872 
1872 
1872 
1872 
1872 
1872 

Remarks. 

Confer'ce 

Y*r. 

1778 
1766 
1769 
1788 
1790 
1802 
1799 
1 801 
1813 
1810 
1809 
1816 
1833 
1830 
1826 
1833 
1839 
1830 
r838 
1843 
1833 
1841 
1838 
1839 
1837 
1837 
1851 
1846 
1848 
1851 
1832 

Sept.  9,   1747 
Aug.  20,  1745 

Brit.  Wes. 
Brit.Wes. 

Brit.Wes. 
M.  E.  C'h 
M.  E.  C'h 
Baltimore 
NewYork 
N.  Eng'ld 
S.  Carol'a 

Phila 

Bal  timore 

Ohio 

Ohio 

Phila 

Phila 

Pittsburg 
N.  Hamp. 

Illinois 

Liberia.... 
NewYork 
Ohio 

Died  May  3,  1814. 
Died  March  31,  1816. 
Died  July  5,  1806. 
Died  March  5,  1835. 
Died  August  23,  1828. 
Died  March  28,  1843. 
Died  March  6,   1867. 
Died  April  9,  1852. 
Died  March  1,  1871. 
Died  Dec.  16,  1835. 
Died  Feb.  9,  1858. 
Died  Sept.  2,  1874. 
Died  March  22,  1865. 
Residence,  New  York 
Res.,  Odessa,  Del. 
Residence,  Philadel'a 
Died  Dec.  20,  1871. 
Residence,  Baltimore 
Died  April  18,  1863. 
Died  May  23,  1871. 
Died   March  22,  1870. 
Died  April  6,  1870. 
Died,  1874. 
Residence,  St.  Louis. 
Residence,  Chicago. 
Res.,  Cincinnati. 
Residence,  Boston. 
Residence,  St.  Paul. 
Res.,  Des  Moines,  I'a. 
Res.,  Atlanta,  Ga. 
Res.,  San  Francisco. 

Richard  Whatcoat 

William    M'Kendree... 

July    5,   1757 
1768 

Aug.   2,  1778 
Aug.    1,  1781 
Jan'y  7,   1780 

Robert  R.  Roberts 

James  Osg\i  Andrew?* 

Apr.  11,  1789 

Apr.  28,  1794 
May  10,   1797 
Apr.  27,   1807 

Thomas  A.  Morris 

Leonidas  L.  Hamlinef 
Edmund  Storer  Janes.. 

June  10,  1810 
July  30,   1813 
Mar.  20,   1806 
Dec.    5,   1809 
Feb.  25,   1812 
Oct.  — ,   1810 
Sept.    8,  1812 

jfuly  15,'  1817 
Nov.    4,  1817 
Feb.  22,  1820 
Mar.  — ,  1825 
Sep.   16,   1825 
Aug.    7,   1825 
Sept.  21,  1821 
Apr.    4,   1811 

Matthew  Simpson 

Edward   R.  Ames 

Davis  Wasgatt  Clark... 
Edward  Thomson 

J..hn  W.  RobertsJ 

Liberia.... 
Baltimore 
Michigan 

Ohio 

Phila 

Ohio 

Oneida.... 
N.  Eng'd. 
Oneida.... 

William    L.  Harris 

Randolph  S.  Foster 

Stephen  M.  Merrill 

Edward  G.  Andrews... 

Jesse  T.  Peck 

In    the    following    table   we    give   a  view    of  our 
Missions,  which  will  be  instructive  to  many  readers. 

••:•  Entered  M.  E.  Church  South,  1846.         f  Resigned  the  office  in  1852. 
%  Missionary  Bishops,  their  episcopal  jurisdiction  being  restricted  to  the 
Liberia  Conference. 


GROWTH  AND  PROGRESS. 


541 


P4 

O 

h 

C/3 
U 

CO 
O 

:- 

7; 

ro 

H 

£ 

< 

H 

£ 

Cfi 

■: 

pC| 

W 

0 

O 

>< 

In 

rt 

< 

£ 

S 

p 

X 

C-, 

:  o  ioo 

:   'r< 

:  <*> 

c 
od 

H 

;  £ 

Day-schools  j   c?   :  S  " fr>  i    1    i    !  J?  j    ■    ;    ;  *  1  gj 

•  -3-  o  NO    CJ    rnci  'O    ro  ** 

•  m  -j-o  io   »   x   fi   +  m 
:   t^           vq^  0__  co  -*■  io 

:  0> 

0 

o 

Sunday-schools 1 

;    M    M    CO  N    N    ■*  N      ;      -N 

•   co           *  m   aoo     .     : 

:co 

c 

C! 

■*■ 

On 
no" 

'/r 

1   3 
0 

Other    Benevolent  |  J° 

Contributions 1  "^ 

•  ■*   ITN    t^    f^ 

:  onoo  w  -^ 

•  in  o  co  m 

•coco   ■+  0 

.  i-^no^  q_  on 

•  on  oT  ON  -? 

.    CN                   H 

ir, 

CO 

ts 

:  on 
.  m 

Missionary  Collec- 

:  °° 

:  co  o  t^  t>. 

:    ■+  O     H     tl 

:  »ono  too 
:  m  o  n  m 

.CO    tJ-  in  C) 

NO 

Z 

0_ 

Probable  Value 

OJ 

no" 

:co  o" 

:  D 

I   co 

:  ^> 

ON 
■<*■ 

On 

1-  co  co  P)   co  m    ■     •     •  oo 
ro    ■     •     :  N 

:    :    :  |«g. 

Probable  Value 

8 
0 

0" 

QQOOnOQoOQ 
OOO'nOOOcoo 
OOOt^OOrHO 

0    0    0    t^v5    M    P4    t~s 

0      t^   CO  NO      IH   00      Tf    M 

o"  co^O   rC  ds  moo"  m" 
in            oo  no   -q-  «   co 
-H-             N 

ON 

IO 

■<*■ 

:88  1   8! 

:  o  o      <s 

:  o  oo  1  o 

0^  en  i  oo 

:  ■>?  co    otf 

■H-IO       00 

:             ir. 

■*■  h     ;  m  -*-vo  nods  ;    :nrr>(M|u-> 

I       H 

Probationers. 

0 

0  no  no   0\0\mio   tJ-    •   t^ 

-*-<nmon<nontj-cn    : 
no            oo  n  oj  in  c-^    ; 

« 

Members 

0\ 

h   ini-tico   nmoj     :O0N 
03  a  h  tuo  o\Nti     -mo 
o^         o^  co  m  on  on  :     no 
n"         s     hs       :     *i— 

: 

no" 

Teachers 

n  m  h  h  co  a  +    • 
mNO  no   On  0     : 

o       m  m  n    ; 

r'"' 

DO 

Native  Preachers.. 

On    •  Nroi^C\  O.O  oo    ^    -\0   N      •  00    1    10 

m.\o           o       MM  ■+  :       M    :          oo 

M 

Missionaries  of  the 
W.  F.  M.  S 1 

N  ro  m  m 

01  : 

""I  if 

Assistant    Mission- 

mmMinMMMro-i-NHMiop)       c-~ 

American  Mission- 

1      ** 

'       </5 
z 

0 

< 

E 
< 

0 

ex 

«' 

U 

u 

- 

I 

c 

u 

o 

— 

X. 

— 
> 

E 
u 

- 
E 

c 

fi 
1) 

-. 

hi 

-r 
- 

; 

B 

p 

o 

O 

^5.        o 


542 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


TERRITORIES. 


fe* 

> 

hrt 

I-1 

n 

*3 

Ti 

^ 

t=> 

-■ 

re 

0 

0 

— 

<o 

■~ 

<2 

OS" 

■s. 

— 

n 

ST" 

n> 

Missions. 

o 

U 

P 

re 

5° 

3 

u 

—  p 

.  0 

!l 

(I 
3 

IO 

13 

13 
124 

137 

re 

8 
7 

IS 

— 

1 
4 

s 

1 
4 

5 

z 

3 

3 

;" 

it 

$5,000 
11,000 

$4>5oo 

$50  00 

Total 

$16,000 

$4,500 

$50  00 

DOMESTIC   MISSIONS— FOREIGN   POPULATIONS. 


Missions. 

5" 

3 
cr 
0 

0 
cr 

0' 

0 

r 
0 

n 
pi 

hS 

3" 

0 

<!o 
p  or 

r& 

.    re 

p 
0 

p 
<*? 
re 

<o 

p  cr 
p-p 
re  S 
.    re* 

> 

oST- 
0  f 

r 

Welsh 

2 

20I 

42 

2 

IO 

118 

9,761 

4,678 

18 

1,166 

1,805 
781 

380 

6 
129 
63 

23 

2 

214 

65 

$2,500 
542,100 
183,675 

"'4 
28 

$122,140 
31,450 

$6,037  33 
3,129 17 

American  Indian 

Total 

14 

22,600 

7 

6,900 

138  91 

257 

i5,74i 

2,966 

22] 

295 

$750,875 

1  59 

$160,490 

$9,305  41 

The  German  work  is  particularly  worthy  of  notice. 
We  referred  to  its  origin  in  connection  with  the  con- 
version of  Dr.  Nast,  who  was  our  first  missionary  to 
that  people  in  1836.  What  has  come  of  that  little 
beginning  may  be  fairly  inferred  from  the  following: 

STATISTICS    FOR    1 874. 


Conferences. 

re  n 

"°  £ 
0  P 

3"  3 

re  n 

re  p 
0 

0 

2*p 

:    S 

:    re 

:    ? 

O 

■=r 

0 
re 

0 

crq 
re 

in 

ft 

tn  3 

:     D. 

m 
0 

3* 
o_ 
p" 

114 
62 

44 
74 
69 
16 
118 

95 
52 
27 
48 
48 
7 
146 

11,516 
5,454 
3,42i 
8,921 
5,028 
5ii 

10,033 

170 
89 
38 
46 
73 

4 

46 
20 
35 
40 
6 
69 

168 

.103 

51 

262 

114 

17 

190 

1,897 

953 
790 

1,051 

927 

83 

1,818 

9,818 
4,677 
4,429 
11,662 
3,870 
473 
8,698 

Germany  and  Switzerla'd 
North-west  German 

South-west   German 

Total 

497 
454 

423 

408 

44,884 
42,642 

594 

546 

285 
262 

9°5 
820 

7,5i9 
7,084 

43,227 

40,960 

Net  increase  for  year. 

43 

15 

2,242 

48 

23 

85 

435 

2,258 

GROWTH  AND  PROGRESS. 


543 


THE    NUMERICAL   PROGRESS 

of  our  Church  affords  many  interesting  and  profita- 
ble lessons.  As  it  is  only  to  be  obtained  from  cum- 
brous volumes  within  the  reach  of  but  few,  I  have 
tabulated  the  following  figures,  which  I  am  sure  will 
often  be  useful.  While  they  reveal  our  general  pro- 
gress, they  furnish  painful  instances  of  retrogres- 
sion. We  have  no  statistics  prior  to  the  first  period 
named: 

OFFICIAL  REPORTS  OF   MEMBERS  SINCE    1 772. 


Year. 


1773 
1774 
1775 
1776 

1777 
1778 
1779 
1780 
1781 
1782 
1783 
1784 
1785 
1786 
1787 
1788 
1789 
1790 
1791 
1792 
1793 
1794 
1795 
1796 

1797 
1798 
1799 


MEMBERS. 


White. 


I,l6o 
2,073 
3,148 
4,921 
6,968 
6,095 

8,577 
8,504 
10,539 
11,785 
13,740 
14,988 
18,000 
18,791 
21,949 
30,809 
35,oi9 
45,949 
50,385 
52,109 
5i,4i6 

52,794 
48,121 

45,384 
46,445 

47,867 

49,"5 


Colored. 


6,545 

8,243 

11,682 

12,884 

13,871 
16,227 

13,814 
12,170 
II,28o 

I2,2l8 
12,302 
12,236 


Total. 


I,l6o 

2,073 
3,148 
4,921 
6,968 
6,095 

8,577 
8,504 
io,539 
11,785 
13,740 
14,988 
18,000 
20,681 
25,842 

37,354 
43,262 

57,631 
63,269 
65,980 

67,643 
66,608 
60,291 
56,664 
58,663 
60,169 
6i,35i 


Increase. 


913 

1,075 
1,873 
2,047 

2,482 

2,035 
1,246 

i,955 

1,248 
3,012 
2,681 
5,i6i 
[1,512 
5,9o8 
4,369 
5,638 
2,711 
1,66-, 


i,999 
1,506 
1,182 


Decrease. 


^73 


73 


J.°35 
6,317 
3,627 


Trav. 
Pr'ers 


25 
36 
29 

49 
42 

54 
59 
82 

S3 
104 
117 

133 
166 
196 

227 
250 
266 
269 
301 
313 
233 
263 
267 
272 


544 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


800 
801 
802 
803 
804 
805 
806 
807 
808 
809 
810 
811 
812 

813 
814 

^I5 
816 

817 

818 

819 

820 

821 

822 

823 
824 
825 
826 
827 
828 
829 
830 
831 
832 
833 
834 
835 
836 

837 
838 

839 
840 
841 


White. 


Colored. 


5^442 
57,i86 
68,075 
81,617 
89,603 
95,629 

114,727 
121,687 

I3i,i54 

139,836 
148,835 
156,852 
171,448 
168,698 
167,978 

!7i,93i 
181,442 
190,477 
201,750 
219,332 
239,087 

252,645 
267,618 
280,427 
298,658 
309,550 
327,932 
361,562 
382,679 
402,561 
437,024 

492,364 
519,196 

553,134 
566,957 
564,974 
570,123 
615,212 

65o,357 
484,761 
748,442 


13,452 
15,688 
18,659 
22,453 
23,53i 
24,3!6 
27,257 
29,863 
30,308 
31,884 
34,724 
35,732 
38,505 
42,859 

42,431 
43,187 
42,304 
43,4H 
39,i5o 
39,174 
40,558 
42,059 

44,377 
44,922 
48,096 
49,537 
5i,334 
54,o65 
59,o56 
62,814 
69,383 
7i,589 
73,8i7 
78,293 
83,156 
83,135 
82,296 
76,240 
79,236 
87,197 
93,587 
102,158 


Ind' 


538 
2,250 
4,209 

4,5QI 
2,412 

2,247 
2,494 
2,436 
2,833 
2,695 
2,101 
2,249 
1,75° 
2,318 


Total. 


64,894 
72,874 

86,734 
104,070 

H3,i34 

"9,945 
i3o,57o 
i44,59o 

151,995 
163,038 
174,560 
184,567 
195,357 
214,307 
211,129 
211,165 
214,235 
224,853 
229,627 
240,924 
259,890 
281,146 
297,022 
312,540 
328,523 

348,195 
360,884 

38i,997 

421,156 

447,H3 
476,153 
5i3,"4 
548,593 
599,736 
638,784 
652,528 
650,678 
658,157 
696,549 

740,459 
^580,098 
852,918 


Increase. 

3,543 

7,980 

13,860 

17,336 

9,064 

6,811 

10,625 

14,020 

7,405 

",043 

11,522 

10,007 

10,790 

18,950 


3,070 
10,618 

4,774 
11,229 
18,966 
21,256 
15,876 
I5,5i8 
15,983 
19,672 
12,689 
21,113 

39,i5o 
29,805 
28,410 
37,H4 
35,479 
5i,J43 
39,048 
13,744 


5,542 

4i,933 

43,9io 

272,820 

57,473 


Dec'se 


3,178 
36 


1,840 
60,361 


PREACHERS. 


Trav. 


287 
307 
358 
383 
400 

433 
452 
516 
540 
597 
636 
685 
716 
700 

729 
729 

695 
716 
748 
812 

896 

977 
1,106 
1,226 
1,272 

1. 3i4 
1,406 
i,576 
1,642 
1,817 
1,900 
2,010 
2,200 

2,395 
2,625 

2,758 
2,981 
3,H7 
3,322 

3,557 
2,263 
3,865 


Local 


4,954 
5,792 
5,856 
4,935 
6,393 


*  These  are  the  returns  from  nineteen  conferences,  leaving  ten  out  of  the 
reckoning,  owing  to  the  General  Conference  having  ordered  that  the  minutes 
should  close  with  the  New  York  Conference. 


GROWTH  AND  PROGRESS. 


545 


1842 
1843 
1844 
1845 
1846 

1847 
1848 
1849 
1850 


MEMBERS. 


White.       Colored.  Ind's.       Total.        Increase  Decrease 


803,988  107,296 

936,736128,410 

I,02I,8l8  145,409 

985,698^50,120 

613,125  30,515 
600,9411  29,901 
608,978  29,254 
632,773  28,590 
660,51 1 J  28,139 


2,617  913,901  60,983 
3,379  1,068,525  154,624 
4,129  1,171,356  102,831 
3,769  1,139,587 

659   644,299 

716   631,558 

834'  639,066   7,508 

953J  662,315  23,249 
1,032)  689,682  27,367 


31,769 

:"495,288 

12,741 


PREACH  RS 


Trav.  Local 


4,044 
4,286 
4,621 
4,828 
3,582 
3,642 
3,841 
4,023 
4,129 


7,H4 
7,730 
8,087 

8,ici 
4,935 
4,9i3 
5,i9i 

5,154 
5,420 


From  this  year,  no  distinction  is  made  in  the 
color  of  our  membership,  and  the  statistics  of  mem- 
bers and  probationers  are  as  follows: 


Year. 

MEMBERS. 

PREACHERS. 

Members. 

Prob'ers. 

Total. 

Increase. 

Decr'se 

Trav. 

Local. 

1851 

1852 
1853 
1854 
1855 
1856 
1857 
1858 

1859 
i860 
1861 
1862 
1863 
1864 
1865 
1866 
1867 
1868 
1869 
1870 
1871 
1972 

1873 

1874 

621,905 
638,530 
648,680 
679,282 
692,255 
698,317 
709,968 
768,000 
832,657 
859,726 
865,446 
843,401 
822,845 
829,379 
822,711 

87I,H3 

971,866 

1,060,265 

1,114,712 

1,173,099 
1,231,008 
1,272,496 
1,288,704 
1,345,089 

99,899 
90,170 

103,957 
104,076 
107,176 
102,010 
HO,55I 

188,555 
141,688 

134,721 
123,077 

99,505 
100,549 

98,941 
106,548 
161,071 

174,215 
194,850 
184,226 
194,035 
190,315 
185,915 
175,321 
218,432 

721,804 
728,700 
732,637 
783,35^ 
799,431 
800,327 
820,519 
956,555 

974,345 
994,447 
988,523 
942,906 

923,394 
928.320 

929,259 
1,032,184 
1,146,081 

i,255,"5 
1,298,938 

1,367,134 
1,421,323 
1,458,441 
1,464,027 

1,563,521 

32,122 
6,896 

3,937 
50,721 
16,073 
896 
20,192 
136,036 
17,790 
20,102 

1,924 
45,617 

i9,512 
1,608 

4,450 

4,513 
5,IOO 

5,483 
5,408 

5,877 
6,134 
6,502 

6,877 
6,987 
6,934 
6,655 
6,788 
6,821 

7,175 
7,576 
8,004 
8,481 
8,830 
9,193 
9,699 
10,212 

io,57i 

10,854 

5,700 

5,767 
6,o6l 
6,149 
6,6lO 
6,718 
7,169 
7,530 
7,904 
8,188 

8,359 
8,216 
8,156 
8,205 

8,493 
8,602 

9,469 
9,899 
10,340 
11,404 
11,382 
11,964 
12,261 
12,581 

6,668 
102,925 

"3,897 
109,034 
43,823 
68,196 
51,189 
37,n8 
5,586 
99,494 

*  This  heavy  decrease  resulted  from  the  separation  of  the  Southern  Confer- 
ences, before  mentioned. 

46 


546 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


The  membership  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  was,  therefore, 

In  1800,  as  1  to  82    of  the  population. 

In  1810,  as  1  to  \\y2 

In  1820,  as  1  to  37 

In  1830,  as  1  to  27^ 

In  1840,  as  1  to  29^ 

In  1850,  as  I  to  333/ 

In  i860,  as  I  to  3124 

In  1870,  as   I  to  30^ 

In  1874,  as  I  to  27 

But  this  does  not  give  the  full  strength  of  Meth- 
odism in  this  country.  To  complete  the  showing  we 
need  to  add  the  following: 

GENERAL     SUMMARY     OF     METHODISTS     IN     THE     UNITED 
STATES. 


Churches. 

Itinerant 
Ministers. 

Local 
Preachers. 

Lay  Mem- 
bers. 

I.  Episcopal  Methodist — 

10,845 

3,371 
635 
600 
694 

737 
967 

12,706 

5,344 

683 

1,300 

1,416 

476 

742 

1,563,521 
667,885 

67,888 
200,000 
164,000 

90,249 
120,445 

Methodist  Episcopal  South... 
Colored  Methodist  Episcopal. 
African  Methodist  Episcopal. 
African  Methodist  Epis.  Zion 

Evangelical  Association 

United  Brethren 

Total 

17,749 

624 

423 

250 

90 

20 

22,667 

300 

250 

190 

80 

25 

2,873,988 

65,000 

65,000 

20,000 

6,000 

2,000 

II.  Non-Episcopal  Methodist — 
The  Methodist  Church 

Methodist  Protestant 

Free  Methodist 

Total 

1,407 

1,845 

158,000 

This  gives  us  a  grand   total   of   19,156  traveling 
ministers;     24,512    local    preachers;    and    3,031,988 


GROWTH  AND  PROGRESS. 


547 


members;  which  is  about  as  one  Methodist  to  every 
thirteen  and  two-thirds  of  the  whole  population  ac- 
cording to  the  last  census. 

To  estimate,  however,  the  full  effect  of  this  won- 
derful work  of  God,  it  is  necessary  to  consider  how 
many  have  been  converted  or  otherwise  benefited 
and  gone  to  swell  the  ranks  of  the  heavenly  hosts, 
how  many  stand  connected  with  other  Churches  who 
have  felt  its  hallowing  influence,  and  how  many  still 
linger  in  the  various  Wesleyan  connections  in  other 
countries.  Of  the  latter  class,  the  following  table 
furnishes  a  pretty  accurate  statement : 


Foreign. 

PREACHERS. 

Members. 

Trav. 

Local. 

British  Wesleyan  Conference 

Irish  Wesleyan  Conference 

1,715 

152 

28 

348 

1,020 
240 
358 
2A4 

365 

1,004 

236 

13,720 

760 

96 

1,438 

14,838 

1,270 

3>36i 
i,747 

148 
1,027 

214 

38,619 

376,439 

20,740 

2,112 

66,686 
164,660 

33,563 
66.909 
26,878 
8,109 
102,887 
22,641 

Primitive  Methodist  Churches 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Canada... 
Total 

5»7IO 

891,524 

Add  these  to  the  foregoing,  and  we  find  that 
Methodism  in  its  several  branches  numbers  24,866 
traveling  preachers;  63,131  local  preachers;  and 
3,923,512  members;  all  claiming  to  belong  to  the 
spiritual  family  first  organized  by  John  Wesley  about 
one  hundred  and  thirty-six  years  ago.  It  will  be 
seen  from  these  tables  that  Methodism  readily  adapts 
itself  to  the  social  life  of  all  countries,  and  may  fairly 
claim  to  be  catholic  in  character,  doctrine,  and  polity. 


548 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


But  let  us  return  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  our  care  for 
the  heathen  has  not  retarded  the  work  at  home. 
Other  indications  of  growth  and  strength  appear  in 
the  following  table  of 

OFFICIAL    STATISTICS    FOR    1 874. 


Church  Interests. 

c 
00 

3 
0 

V 

<  0 

O    y 
V   -' 

t-5o 
3  n 

p  -. 

12 

So 

10,845 

12,706 

23-551 

1,563,521 

14,989 

$69,049,523 

4,989 

$0,467,170 

$78,516,693 

18,958 

203,409 

1,383,227 

1,586,636 

4 

274 

445 

719 

99,494 

460 

$2,716,943 

3" 

$924,61^ 

$3,641,559 

927 

16,229 

64,624 

74,853 

8 

2,015 

2,366 

4,38i 

264,583 

2,941 

$22,796,456 

1,021 

$2,604,940 

$25,401,396 

2,565 

18,813 

203,243 

222,056 

23 
4,024 
4,501 
8,525 

635,101 

4,974 

$45,268,013 

2,136 
$6,677,020 

$51,945,033 
5,805 

54,934 

523,527 
578,461 

Value  of  Church  Edifices 

Total  Value  Church  Property.. 

S.  S.  Officers  and  Teachers 

Total  Teachers  and  Scholars... 

That  God  has  greatly  favored  us  will  appear,  per- 
haps, still  more  forcibly  when  we  consider  the  for- 
tunes of  other  denominations,  some  of  which  had 
been  in  operation  in  this  country  nearly  a  century 
and  a  half,  when  Methodism  made  its  first  appear- 
ance. Besides,  at  its  outset  it  had  to  encounter 
prcjudices  long  fostered,  and  preach  a  theology 
which,  though  not  new,  had  long  been  overshad- 
owed by  the  teachings  of  opposing  Churches.  But 
it  approved  itself  to  the  hearts  and  consciences  of 
men  by  its  fruits.  It  proclaimed  the  Gospel  of  a 
free  and  universal  salvation,  and  called  upon  all 
sinners  every-where  to  repent  and  be  saved.  The 
following  table  is  based  on  the  census  of  1870,  and 


GROWTH  AND  PROGRESS. 


549 


will   show  in  some   respects  the  status  of  the  differ- 
ent sects: 


Denominations. 


Baptist  (regular). 
Baptist  (other).... 

Christian 

Congregational 


Episcopal  (Protestant) 

Evangelical  Association 

Friends 

Jewish 

Lutheran 

Methodist 

Miscellaneous  

Moravian  (Unitas  Fratrum).. 

Mormon 

New  Jerusalem  (Swedenb'n) 

Presbyterian  (regular) 

Presbyterian  (other) 

Ref.  Ch.  in  Am.  (late  Dutch) 
Ref.  Ch.  in  U.  S.  (late  Germ.) 

Roman  Catholic 

Second  Advent 

Shaker 

Spiritualist 

Unitarian  

United  Brethren  in  Christ... 

Universalist 

Unknown  (Local  Missions).. 
Unknown  (Union) 


14,474 
i,355 
3,578 


8i5 

692 

189 

3,032 

25,278 

27 

72 

189 

90 

6,262 

1,562 

471 

1,256 

4,127 

225 

18 

95 

33i 

i,445 

719 

26 


12,857 

1,105 

2,822 

2,7*5 

2,601 

641 

662 

152 

2,776 

2i,337 

17 

67 

171 

61 

5,683 

1,388 

468 

i,i45 

3,806 

140 


Total 72,459  63,082  21,665,062  $354,483,581  $87,328 


3,997,n6 

363,019 

865,602 

1,117,212 

991,051 

193,796 

224,664 

73,265 

977,332 

6,528,209 

6,935 

25,700 

87,838 

18,755 

2,198,900 

499,344 

227,228 

431,700 

i,99o>5i4 

34,555 

8,850 

6,970 

i55,47i 

265,025 

210,884 

11,925 

153,202 


$39,229,221 
2,378,977 
6,425,137 
25,069,698 

36,514,549 

2,301,650 

3,939,56o 

5,155,234 

14,9*7.747 

69,854,121 

135,650 

709,100 

656,750 

869,700 

47,828,732 

5,436,524 

io,359,255 

5,775,215 

60,985,566 

306,240 

86,900 

100,150 

6,282,675 

1,819,810 

5,692,325 

687,800 

965,295 


$11,020,855 

853,386 

8,001,995 

11,375,010 

118,250 

1,713,767 

418,600 

2,909,711 

14,825,070 

214,530 

444,167 

84,780 

115,100 

I4,543,789 

27,55o 

4,116,280 

993,78o 

9,256,758 

11,190 

39,500 


3,280,822 
18,600 

1,778,316 

98,950 

915,020 


When  it  is  remembered  how  weak  and  poor 
Church  was  but  a  few  years  ago 


th< 


these  figures  seem 


But  not   more   so  than   the 


following   re- 


cently prepared  by  Dr.  De  Puy,  combining  our 

VARIOUS    COLLECTIONS    FOR    1 874. 


Conference  Collections, $1,092,673 

Miscellaneous  Collections, 170,000 

Expenses  for  Sunday-schools,   .....  466,087 
Expenses  for  New  Churches  and  Church  Improvements,      3,641,559 

Expenses  for  Local  Mission  Work,  .          .          .          .  217,790 

Expenses  for  Salaries  of  Ministers,       ....  9,760,420 

Local  Church  Expenses, 2,290,105 

Total, $17,548,934 


55o 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


That  the  reader  may  see  how  these  interests  are 
distributed,  we  give  another  table  of  statistics,  repre- 
senting the  facts  as  reported  at  the  close  of  1874: 


Conferences. 


Alabama  

Arkansas 

Baltimore 

California 

Central  German.. 
Central  Illinois  ... 
Cent.   New    York. 

Central  Ohio 

Central  Penn 

Chicago  German. 

Cincinnati 

Colorado 

Delaware  

Des  Moines 

Detroit 

East  Or.  &  Wash. 

East  ( re  r  man 

East  .Maine 

Erie 

Florida 

Georgia 

Ger.  and  Switz... 

Holston 

Illinois 

India 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Lexington 

Liberia 

Louisiana 

Maine 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Nebraska 

Nevada 

Newark 

New  England 

New  Hampshire. 

New  Jersey 

New  York 

New  York  East... 
North  Carolina... 
Nor.  New  York  .. 

North  Indiana 

North  Ohio 

N.  W.  German.... 
N.  W.  Indiana.... 


MEMBERS. 


I0908 

5396 
32264 

9I4I 
H516 
26179 
32130 
23354 
37342 

5454 

35894 

2089 

1 1 834 

18200 

23107 

1369 

342i 

[1 1591 1 

38028 

2466 

i5"8 

8921 

24454 

395oi 

1567 

32934 

20289 

2136 

9162 

8396 

2032 

1737 

334o 

26592 

12678 

30343 

18666 

8693 

496 

36330 

30156 

4408 

35101 

443io 

42262 

26052 

31834 

21994 
5028 


615 
278 

1743 
305 

1900 
886 
762 

4081 
93 

1099 
398 
724 
882 

1313 

1369 
i55 
190 

1609 

259 
618 
408 
875 
3875 
217 

1767 

dyi 

^6738 

698 

</68 
968 
^25 
1346 
443 


35oo 
1286 
^25 
3483 
1476 

598 
3953 

254 
2224 

868 
1631 
2430 
d  106 

312 
1939 


SUNDAY-SCH  LS 


56 

349 

158 
168 

397 
377 
327  >6 

452 
103 
345 

47 
152 
292 
369 

*5 

5i 
147 
523 

33 
185 
262 
233 
498 

89 
352 
394 
149 
171 

54 

25 

83 

495^ 
271 

58 

l3 

50 

23 
316 
208 

33 

27 
448 
280 
134 
327 
381 1/ 

296  A 

114 

315 


272 
5093 
1612 
i897 
3912 
4430 


5153 

1904 
32534 
12217 

98 

77 
26418 


394825853 
6333  38994 
4677 
33554 


953 
4616 

429 

1115 

2603 

4025 

114 

79° 

1463 

6142 

105 

724 

1051 

1438 

5226 

199 


2930 

6866 

17373 

26745 

599 

4429 

9266 

40129 

1090 

7460 

1 1662 

10226 

38353 

369 


3406  24318 


1264 


268 


203S2 
8463 

8437 

2630 


1177 

4857 
1 1 708 
30667 
14572 

9023 
1 1 180 

6686 
805 


169 
575 

669 
4992 
2376 

533 

1705 
1014 

160 
4890  35293 
4i88  33055 
1772)14400 
5345  32404 
5963 1 38009 
5985|447I6 

516  5124 
3612  20863 
4152I30610 
3577  23559 

927  3870 
3138122211 


CHURCH  PROPERTY. 


"7 

44 
359 
1 1 1 
170 
320 
297^ 
297^ 

$92 

89 
367  / 

26^ 

i73 

130 

237 

7 

38 
106 
445^2 

35 
171 

46 
208 
430^ 

13 
334K 
238 

55 
160^ 

59 

24 

77 
"3 
225 
134 
157 
121 

50 

11 
243 

"7^ 
260 
376 
282 
100 
245 
377 
304 
73 
271 


h3 


$42,452 
57,9™ 

2,718,400 
649,775 
583,500 

1,017,950 

1,869,211 
788,885 

1,606,910 
3i5,35o 

1,882,200 
128,100 
197,200 
342,300 

1,505,500 

10,000 

494,4oo 

361,800 

2,242,800 

17,968 

65,632 

291,673 

162,060 

i,43o,7i5 
24,725 
735,325 
578,94o 
183,100 
395,55o 
135,825 
10,690 
231,996 
559.4oo 

1,174,000 
536,025 
132,405 
272,400 
"3.950 
62,100 

2,776,350 

3,062,100 
744,341 

1,748,400 

3,952,700 

4,383,900 
37,535 

i,3i9.75o 
938,54o 

1,071,500 
i3i,395 
785,675 


73 

:-• 
69 
129 

:65 
7" 
92 
46 

;;: 

12 
77 

23 

6 
20 

54 

!72 

4 

9 
35. 

9 
^7 
26 
74 
7-' 
33 
12 

7 

4 

f' 
60 
42 
82 
10 
36 
33 
15 
109 

67 

96 
175 
137 
1 
148 

95/^ 

70 

40 

73 


$900 

535 

309, 200 

67,700 

104,400 

170,' 

332,144 

105,950 

213,600 

39.125 

208,950 

8,500 

6,643 

58,350 

180,825 

10,600 

72,500 

53-4oo 

297,375 

1,160 

1,128 


6,650 

198,90c 

41,300 

85,300 

66,674 

37,850 

19,900 

3,45o 

6,975 

3,925 

77,45o 

193. 150 

80,550 

5,9°° 

19.025 

21,000 

14,150 

522,100 

348,600 

H5,i75 

293,800 

740,000 

693,850 

300 

232,955 

133,450 

110,210 

38,550 

114,362 


GROWTH  AND  PROGRESS. 


551 


CONFERENXES. 


North-west  Iowa. 

Ohio  

Oregon 

Philadelphia 

Pittsburg 

Providence  ... 
Rock  River .. 
Rocky  Mountain. 
South  Carolina 

S.  E.  Indiana 

Southern  German 
Southern  Illinois- 
South  Kansas 

S.  W.  German 

St.  Louis 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Troy 

Upper  Iowa 

Vermont  

Virginia 

Washington  

West.  New  York. 

West  Texas 

West  Virginia 

West  Wisconsin... 

Wilmington 

Wisconsin 

Wyoming 


H 

p 
<_ 

MEMBERS. 

sunday-sch'ls. 

CHURCH  PROPERTY. 

H 

t-H 

w 

O 

w 

O 

T! 

hrj 

hd 

7 
0 

0 

n 

°"2 

in   ~~ 

:■  § 

:  " 

:  g 

eq 

a   0 

3* 

0 

^3 
n  0 
y  a 
0  ~- 

0 

3  3 

:  P. 

0 

3* 
c 
0 
n 

v  or 

V 

0 
3 
pi 
09 

PI 

62 

43oi 

207 

no 

694 

3608 

18 

$43,375 

21 

$13,590 

184 

39035 

526 

542 

5810 

41119 

503 

1,158,510 

104 

205,250 

01 

3725 

^1549 

77 

554 

4471 

64 

161,600 

33 

30,907 

237 

43667 

4973 

356 

7191 

54634 

301 

3,328,195 

78 

335,050 

298 

62905 

7140 

big 

8236 

54104 

614 

2,852,386 

77 

176,010 

181 

20926 

1579 

180 

30Q3 

22442 

166 

i,6n,755 

81 

206,200 

228 

25151 

802 

294 

3763 

29292 

245 

2,176,669 

118 

206,600 

18 

694 

276 

27 

166 

1 301 

10J4 

63,500 

3 

3,700 

92 

30676 

4653 

207 

b2b 

9310 

183 

118,369 

10 

3,345 

120 

25«77 

630 

268 

3055 

22176 

295 

892,400 

50 

57,400 

ib 

5" 

5" 

17 

83 

473 

9 

i3,55o 

6 

4,4oo 

160 

25826 

1 149 

353 

3291 

=3799 

3n1/2 

600,125 

79 

89,725 

90 

12721 

2721 

157 

1340 

8206 

43 

97,800 

4i 

27,945 

118 

10033 

1458 

190 

1818 

8698 

169 

461,720 

6q 

75,55o 

13b 

l6493 

483 

157 

1208 

973i 

12444 

456,685 

39 

43,400 

92 

«53« 

3749 

144 

730 

6688 

1.56^4 

193,335 

5 

1,000 

77 

I7H95 

9 

106 

332 

54" 

67 

65,055 

6 

1,850 

264 

34608 

2195 

389 

4720  31869 

297 

2,404,360 

149 

337,933 

191 

19301 

#196 

288 

286521124 

192 

692,800 

88 

89,487 

120 

11381 

^142 

155 

1686  12087 

114 

419,150 

87 

136,125 

bo 

6407 

684 

77 

631 

3323 

95 

118,050 

10 

I3,i25 

106 

26202 

1368 

238 

1588 

20219 

177 

422,258 

r9 

20,620 

231 
61 
i53 

19897 
29855 

402 

2952 

3i3 
355 

3594 
3451 

22487 
18959 

263 
365" 

1,546,840 
530,825 

132 
43 

230,000 

48,600 

130 

12487 

786 

312 

2784 

16720 

170 

408,400 

76 

58,800 

124 

26626 

"37 

330 

4353j24i54 

312 

1,159,025 

48 

127,060 

... 

15211 

d97 

228 

2476] 16350 

194^2 

807,950 

99 

119,677 

205 

27873 

1444 

426 

4778  30455 

291 

1,318,140 

126 

252,570 

These  eighty  conferences  are  divided  into  452  dis- 
tricts, under  the  supervision  of  the  same  number  of 
presiding  elders.  They  also  furnish  195  presidents, 
professors,  teachers,  and  agents  to  our  colleges  and 
schools,  besides  numerous  chaplains,  and  other  work- 
ers   in  the  different   departments  of  Christian  effort. 

EDUCATIONAL    INSTITUTIONS. 


We  have  deemed  it  advisable  to  present  the  fore- 
going statistics  in  prominent  form,  that  the  young 
reader  may  have  a  sort  of  starting  point  for  his  future 
calculations;  but  they  do  not  cover  the  whole  ground. 
Though  the  fathers  seemed  to  have  the  poorest  kind 


552  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

of  fortune  for  some  sixty  or  seventy  years  in  theii 
efforts  to  promote  education,  when  they  really  made 
a  beginning  they  prospered,  and  no  department  of 
our  work  has  succeeded  better.  We  have  glanced  at 
the  origin  of  some  of  our  literary  institutions,  and 
have  only  room  for  a  few  other  facts  as  to  their 
present  status.  The  following  summary  is  believed 
to  be  nearly  correct:  Universities  and  Colleges, 
27,  with  216  instructors  and  5,900  students.  Acad- 
emies (including  collegiate  institutes  and  female  col- 
leges) and  seminaries,  69,  with  504  instructors  and 
14, 100  students.  The  estimated  value  of  university 
and  college  property  is  as  follows:  Buildings,  libra- 
ries, apparatus,  and  furniture,  $2,615,137;  endow- 
ment, $1,928,123;  total,  $4,543,260.  The  property 
invested  in  seminaries,  female  colleges,  and  acad- 
emies, under  the  supervision  of  the  Church,  is  over 
$2,000,000.  The  grand  total  in  colleges  and  semi- 
naries, exclusive  of  theological  institutions,  is  nearly 
$7,000,000. 

Besides  these,  we  have  the  Boston  Theological 
Seminary,  which  was  opened  in  Concord,  New  Hamp- 
shire, in  1847,  under  the  lead  of  Rev.  John  Demp- 
ster, D.  D.,  who  afterward  took  an  active  part  in 
starting  the  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  at  Evanston, 
Illinois,  which  received  its  name  and  endowment  of 
$300,000  from  a  Methodist  lady  of  Chicago.  These 
institutions,  with  the  Drew  Theological  Seminary  at 
Madison,  New  Jersey,  and  others,  before  named,  fur- 
nish the  'Church  a  pretty  complete  outfit  for  this 
department  of  its  labors. 


METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN,  553 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


AND    PRESENT    CONDITION. 


THIS  establishment,  as  before  stated,  made  a  very- 
feeble  beginning,  in  1789,  by  the  appointment 
of  Rev.  John  Dickins  editor  and  agent,  under  the 
title  of  Book  Steward.  The  measure  was  the  nat- 
ural result  of  the  course  adopted  by  Mr.  Wesley  at 
an  early  period  in  his  public  career.  Undertaking  a 
great  and  difficult  work,  with  few  to  assist  him,  he 
availed  himself  of  the  press  to  a  remarkable  degree. 
Beginning  with  tracts,  he  advanced  to  pamphlets, 
and  from  pamphlets  to  books,  until  he  had  swept 
over  the  whole  field  of  thought  embraced  in  his  com- 
prehensive scheme  of  usefulness,  and  became  a  prom- 
inent publisher  of  religious  works.  His  means  of 
sale,  like  his  whole  plan  of  operations,  were  peculiar. 
He  relied  on  himself  and  his  co-laborers.  Those  who 
desired  to  preach  under  his  direction,  he  pledged  to 
the  sale  of  his  books  and  tracts,  as  he  pledged  them 
to  strictly  ministerial  duties.  Thus,  all  his  preachers 
became  colporteurs,  and  were  examined  from  time  to 
time  with  regard  to  this  part  of  their  duty.  "Take 
care,"  said  he  to  them,  "that  every  society  be  duly 
supplied  with  books.  O,  why  is  not  this  regarded!" 
To  Mr.  Richard  Rodda,  one  of  his  helpers,  he  wrote: 
"You  are  found  to  be  remarkably  diligent  in  spread- 

47 


554  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

ing  the  books;  let  no  man  rob  you  of  this  glory.  If 
you  can  spread  the  magazine  it  will  do  good;  the 
letters  therein  are  the  marrow  of  Christianity."  To 
place  his  motives  beyond  suspicion,  he  consecrated 
all  the  profits  that  might  accrue  to  the  cause  of  God 
and  the  benefit  of  his  growing  societies.  Under  this 
arrangement  his  first  missionaries  to  this  country  in- 
troduced the  books  wherever  they  went.  But  as  the 
work  advanced  it  became  necessary  to  have  other 
books.  This,  together  with  the  trouble  and  expense 
of  obtaining  supplies  from  England,  led  to  the  issue 
of  various  works  on  individual  responsibility,  which 
created  some  alarm  for  the  unity  of  the  Church. 

Mr.  Dickins  entered  upon  his  duties  in  Philadel- 
phia, Pennsylvania,  without  one  dollar  of  capital,  and 
still  charged  with  the  responsibilities  of  the  pastorate 
in  an  important  Church.  His  first  movement  was  to 
loan  the  Concern  six  hundred  dollars  of  his  own 
money,  showing  that  he  had  confidence  in  the  suc- 
cess of  the  enterprise.  With  this  he  republished 
the  ''Christian's  Pattern,"  Mr.  Wesley's  translation  of 
"Thomas  a  Kempis,"  a  manual  of  piety,  celebrated 
for  its  excellence  through  Christian  Europe — a  little 
work  that  had  much  to  do  with  awakening  the  Wes- 
leys  and  Whitefield  to  a  sense  of  their  spiritual 
poverty. 

The  same  year  he  issued  the  Methodist  "Dis- 
cipline," "Saints'  Everlasting  Rest,"  and  the  first 
volume  of  the  Arminian  Magazine.  In  1790  por- 
tions of  Fletcher's  "Checks,"  and  another  volume 
of  the  magazine  appeared.  Thus  he  continued  the 
sole  manager  of  the  business  until  1797,  when  the 
conference,  to  assist  him  and  doubly  guard  its  press 


ME  T HOD  I  ST  BOOK  CONCERN.  555 

against  any  possible  impurity,  appointed  a  book 
committee  to  determine  what  should  be  published. 
Two  years  after,  Mr.  Dickins  was  called  to  his  re- 
ward, lamented  by  all  who  knew  him,  having  suc- 
cessfully laid  the  foundations  of  an  institution  which 
was  to  be  second  to  no  other  of  the  kind  in  the 
world.  The  same  year  the  Rev.  Ezekiel  Cooper  was 
appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy.  Under  his  skillful 
management  the  business  continued  to  prosper.  In 
1804  it  was  removed  to  the  city  of  New  York,  and 
Rev.  John  Wilson  was  appointed  assistant  editor  and 
book  steward.  Four  years  later  Mr.  Cooper  re- 
signed, leaving  the  Concern  worth  about  forty-five 
thousand  dollars,  the  net  earnings  of  nineteen  years. 
Mr.  Wilson  succeeded  him,  with  Rev.  Daniel  Hitt 
as  assistant.  This  year  the  agents  were  first  released 
from  the  responsibilities  of  the  pastorate,  and  left  to 
give  their  entire  attention  to  the  business,  preaching 
only  as  they  might  feel  disposed.  Mr.  Wilson  is  said 
to  have  been  an  estimable  man,  a  faithful  minister, 
and  a  skillful  agent.  He  conducted  the  business 
faithfully  until  18 10,  when  he  also  died,  leaving  the 
Concern  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Hitt.  The  General  Con- 
ference of  18 12  appointed  him  principal,  and  Thomas 
Ware  assistant;  but  the  business  failed  to  succeed  as 
it  had  previously  done.  In  18 16  both  were  left  out, 
and  Joshua  Soule  and  Thomas  Mason  succeeded 
them,  and  by  wise  management  saved  the  Concern 
from  sinking  under  its  embarrassments. 

CHANGE    OF    POLICY    ADOPTED. 

Four  years  after,  Mr.   Soule  was  elected   bishop, 
and   Rev.    Nathan    Bangs  was   appointed  to  succeed 


556  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

him,  with  Rev.  Thomas  Mason  as  assistant.  The 
Concern  was  still  heavily  in  debt.  Its  books  were 
scattered  through  the  country,  in  the  hands  of  pre- 
siding elders  and  preachers,  under  a  "commission" 
arrangement  adopted  by  the  General  Conference  some 
years  before,  and  the  returns  were  slow  and  uncer- 
tain. The  agents  saw  that  something  must  be  done 
to  vitalize  the  whole  system,  and  immediately  brought 
out  several  works  for  which  there  was  a  loud  call, 
embracing  Benson's  "Commentary,"  and  a  new  re- 
vision of  the  hymn-book.  Both  being  re-elected  in 
1820,  they,  two  years  after,  rented  the  basement  of 
the  Wesleyan  Seminary,  in  Crosby  Street,  and  com- 
menced doing  their  own  binding.  This  proved  so 
great  a  convenience,  that  Mr.  Bangs  and  his  assistant, 
Rev.  John  Emory,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Mason  in 
1824,  purchased  the  seminary  building,  and  com- 
menced doing  their  own  printing  in  September  of  that 
year.  It  was  during  this  administration  that  Dr. 
Clarke's  "Commentary"  was  issued,  and  the  unfor- 
tunate system  of  sending  out  books  on  commission 
was  abolished.  This  was  a  great  relief  to  the  Con- 
cern, and  gave  new  life  to  the  business.  On  the  9th 
of  September,  1826,  the  first  number  of  the  Christian 
Advocate  made  its  appearance,  and  at  once  became  a 
power  for  good.  The  General  Conference  of  1828 
appointed  Mr.  Bangs  its  editor,  and  editor  of  Sun- 
day-school books,  which  had  then  become  a  neces- 
sity ;  Rev.  John  Emory,  principal  editor  and  book 
agent,  with  Rev.  Beverly  Waugh,  his  assistant.  It 
was  during  this  term  that  Wesley's  and  Fletcher's 
works  were  published,  and  the  magazine  installed  as 
the  Methodist  Magazine  and  Quarterly  Review. 


METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN.  557 

REMOVAL   TO    200    MULBERRY    STREET. 

The  business  so  increased  that  more  room  was 
needed,  and  five  lots  were  purchased  on  Mulberry 
Street,  and  buildings  commenced,  where  the  print- 
ing-office is  now  located.  Mr.  Emory  having  been 
elected  bishop  in  1832,  Mr.  Waugh  was  appointed 
principal  agent ;  Rev.  T.  Mason,  assistant ;  Mr.  Bangs, 
editor  of  the  Magazine  and  Quarterly  Review,  and  of 
general  books;  Rev.  John  P.  Durbin,  editor  of  the 
Christian  Advocate,  and  Sunday  school  books  and 
tracts,  and  Rev.  Timothy  Merritt,  his  assistant..  In 
September,  1833,  the  front  building,  on  Mulberry 
Street,  was  completed,  and  the  whole  business  re- 
moved to  its  new  quarters.  Every  thing  went  on 
prosperously  until  February  18,  1836,  when  the  build- 
ings and  stock  were  consumed  by  fire,  involving  a 
loss  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

This  was  a  heavy  blow,  little  part  of  the  insurance 
being  collectible  on  account  of  the  bankruptcy  of 
most  of  the  companies  occasioned  by  a  recent  heavy 
fire  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city.  But  it  excited 
sympathy.  Meetings  were  held  on  this  account  in 
various  places,  and  contributions  were  made  to  the 
amount  of  $89,994.98.  This  sum,  with  what  was 
due  the  Concern,  and  the  amount  received  from  the 
insurance  companies,  enabled  the  agents  to  commence 
anew,  with  a  capital,  all  told,  of  $281,650.74.  Mr. 
Waugh  being  elected  bishop  in  1836,  Mr.  Mason 
was  elected  agent;  Rev.  George  Lane,  assistant;  Rev. 
Samuel  Luckey,  general  editor ;  and  Rev.  John  A. 
Collins,  his  assistant.  The  same  agents  were  re- 
elected in  1840,  with  Rev.  George  Peck,  editor  of  the 


553 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


Quarterly  Review  and  general  books  and  tracts  ;  Dr. 
Thomas  E.  Bond,  editor  of  the  Christian  Advocate 
and  Sunday-school  books,  with  Rev.  George  Coles 
for  his  assistant. 

Since  then  the  Concern  has  been  managed  by  the 
following  agents: 


G.  Lane  and  C.  B.  Tippett,     . 

.     Eleeted  in  1844 

G.  Lane  and  L.  Scott, 

1848 

T.  Carlton  and  Z.  Phillips,      . 

1852 

T.  Carlton  and  J.  Porter,     . 

1856 

T.  Carlton  and  J.  Porter, 

i860 

T.  Carlton  and  J.  Porter,     . 

1864 

T.  Carlton  and  J.   Lanahan,     . 

1868 

R.  Nelson  and  J.  M.  Phillips, 

1872 

The   Cincinnati   branch-house   was   established  in 
1820,  and  has  been  managed  by  the  following  agents: 


Martin  Later, 

Martin  Later,      .... 

Charles  J  [olliday,    . 

<  .  Holliday  and  J.  F.  Wright,     . 

|.  K.  Wright  and  L.  Swormstedt, 

|.  F.  Wright  and  L.  Swormstedt, 

L.  Swormstedt  and  J.  T.  Mitchell, 

L.  Swormstedt  and  J.  II.  Power, 

L.  Swormstedt  and  A.   Poe, 

L.  Swormstedt  and  A.  Poe, 

A.   Poe  and  L.  Hitchcock, 

A.  Poe  and  1 ..  1  [itchcock, 

L.  Hitchcock  and  J.  M.  Walden, 

L.  Hitchcock  and  J.  M.  Walden, 


Elected 

in  1820 

" 

1824 

<< 

1828 

" 

1832 

ic 

1836 

a 

1840 

a 

1844 

<  1 

1848 

" 

1852 

" 

1856 

" 

i860 

(( 

1864 

(« 

1868 

it 

1872 

THE    SUCCESS    OF   THE    BUSINESS. 

The  business  has  prospered  more  or  less  under 
all  these  administrations.  Mistakes  have,  no  doubt, 
been  made;  but  it  should  be  recorded  to  the  honor 
of  all  concerned,  that  not  a  dollar  has  been  lost  by 
the  defalcation  of  its  managers  from  the  commence- 
ment of  the  business.  The  separation  of  the  South, 
in    1845,  ^vas   soon    followed  by  lawsuits  against  the 


METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN. 


559 


agents  at  New  York  and  Cincinnati,  and  resulted  in  the 
division  of  the  property  under  an  order  of  the  court, 
taking  away  more  than  one  full  third  of  it,  East  and 
West.  Ministers  have  always  controlled  the  business 
until  1872,  when  laymen  became  partners  in  manage- 
ment, and  John  M.  Phillips,  Esq.,  was  appointed  one 
of  the  agents  at  Xew  York. 

In  the  quadrennial  Exhibit  presented  to  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  of  1852,  the  agents  congratulated 
themselves  and  the  conference  on  the  great  advance- 
ment in  their  sales  over  those  of  the  previous  four 
years,  amounting  to  a  fraction  more  than  thirty-four 
per  cent.  Still,  they  say,  ''the  highest  point  ever 
yet  attained  (which  was  in  1850)  is  $202,358.27; 
while  they  ought  to  reach  annually  at  least  $250,000, 
or  $1,000,000  every  four  years."  Beginning  at  that 
point,  we  find  the  sales  to  have  been  as  follows : 


Date  of  report. 

Sales  in  4  years. 

Increase  in  4  years. 

May,  1852,   .... 

8653,190    78 

$165,968    74 

"     1856,      .     .     . 

1,000,734    l8 

347,543  40 

"     i860,   .... 

1,175,867    29 

175^33  11 

"     1S64,      .     .     . 

1,507,873    18 

322,005  89 

"     1868,    .... 

2o35>i99  77 

1,027,326  59 

"     1872,      .     .     . 

2,426,840  42 

dec.   109,359  35 

The  profits  of  the  Concern,  tally  well  with  its 
sales,  though  making  money  was  not  one  of  the 
chief  objects  of  its  establishment.  From  the  report 
of  the  agents  made  to  the  General  Conference  in 
1836,  we  learn  that  the  total  assets  of  the  Concern 
amounted  to  $191,655.76.  To  this,  sympathizing 
friends  added  by  donations  $89,994.98,  making  a 
grand  total  of  capital  for  rebuilding  and  carrying  on 
the  business  of  $281,650.74.      And  this  was  largely 


\ 


$6o 


HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


in   doubtful   accounts,    which   were   estimated   above 
their  real  value. 

The  net  capital  of  the  Concern  November  I,  1871,  as 
per  report  made  to  the  General  Conference,  May, 
1872,  was  .......     $1,055,179  57 

Deduct  the  capital  found  as  above  in  1836,  .  281,650  74 


And  we  have  a  balance  in  profits  of 

Between  1836  and  i860  the  Concern  paid  in  Divi- 
dends to  the  Annual  Conferences 

To  the  Church  South,  as  per  Settlement, 

To  the  Church  South,  as  per  Interest  on  Bond,   . 

Cost  on  Church  Suit,        ...... 

Amount  transferred  to  the  Cincinnati  Branch,  by 
order  of  General  Conference  in  1840, 

Expenses  of  Delegates  to  General  Conference,  and 
other  bills  ordered  by  that  body, 

Paid  in  the  Purclia.se  and  Support  of  Embarrassed 
Local  Papers,  so  far  as  ascertained, 

Paid  Bishops'  Salaries  and  Traveling  Expenses, 


$773>528  83 

305,457  00 

231,648  51 

33,214  02 

9,559  19 

105,103,56 

20,085  72 

27,117  31 
180,328  23 


Total  of  profits  in   i860, 


$1,686,042  37 


Paid  between  i860  and  1864,  as  follows: 

To  the  Publishing  Committee  of  the  Pacific  Christian 

Advocate, $6,000  00 

To  the  Publishing  Committee  of  the  California  Chris- 
tian Advocate,        ......  4,000  00 

Paid  on  Account   of   Expenses   of    Delegates  to   the 

General  Conference  of  1860,       ....  2,478   13 

To  the  Committee  on  Ritual,  and  Sundry  other  Ex- 
penses ordered  to  be  paid  by  General  Conference,  1,394  71 

Paid  Dividends  to  the  Conferences,  .         .         .  19,600  09 

Paid  on  Account  of  Salaries  and  Traveling  Expenses 

of  the  Bishops'  and  to  the  Widows  of  Bishops,  46,186  60 


Total,           . $79,659  53 

Paid   out   from  January    I,    1864,    to  January    1, 
1868,  as  follows: 

Dividends  to  Conferences,        .         .         .         .         .  $20,000  00 

On  General  Conference  Expenses,        .          .         .  3,81 1   81 

Other  Incidental  Expenses,     .....  T>346  42 

California  Christian  Advocate,    .          .          .          .  4,000  00 

Pacific  Christian  Advocate,       .....  4,000  00 

On  Bishops  Salaries  and  Traveling  Expenses,       .  79,894  50 

Total  of  profits  from  1864  to  l8o8>          •  $11.3,052  73 


ME  T HOD  I  ST  BOOK  CONCERN.  5  6 1 

Sum  total  of  profits  to  1868,    ....     $1,878,754  63 
Profits  and   amounts  paid  outside  of  the  business  re- 
ported in  1872  for  the  preceding  four  years,       .  105,413  04 

Making  a  grand  total  of  $1,984,167  67 

of  profits  by  the  business  in  thirty-six  years,  and 
largely  paid  out  from  year  to  year  in  support  of 
outside  interests. 

So  much  for  the  Concern  at  New  York.  By  add- 
ing what  has  been  made  by  the  Western  Concern  at 
Cincinnati,  we  may  learn  what  have  been  the  profits 
at  both  places;  but  we  are  not  able  to  give  the  fig- 
ures with  accuracy,  and  will  only  say,  it  started,  as 
before  stated,  with  a  capital  of  $105,103.56,  trans- 
ferred from  New  York.  Its  net  capital  in  1872  was 
$422,599.68,  which  is  $317,496.12  more  than  its 
original  stock,  and  is,  therefore,  net  profit.  It  also 
paid  the  Church  South  more  than  $80,000,  and  has 
for  several  years  met  one-third  of  the  bishops'  sal- 
aries, and  other  expenses  levied  by  the  General  Con- 
ferences upon  the  Book  Concern. 

These  figures  indicate  something  of  the  magni- 
tude of  the  business,  and  of  its  steady  growth  from 
its  unpromising  beginning  to  the  present  time.  The 
fact  that  the  two  Concerns  publish  nearly  three  tJwu- 
saiid  bound  volumes  of  various  sizes,  ranging  from  a 
hundred  dollar  quarto  to  a  ten-penny  Testament, 
with  more  than  half  as  many  different  tracts,  each 
embracing  from  two  to  sixty-four  pages,  and  hundreds 
of  other  works,  such  as  maps,  cards,  leaves,  etc., 
meeting  nearly  every  want  of  our  own  denomination, 
to  say  nothing  of  others,  is  not  only  confirmatory  of 
this  remarkable  exhibit,  but  goes  to  show  that  the 
business  has  been  prosecuted  in  accordance  with  its 


562  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

original  purpose ;   namely,  the  intellectual  and  spirit- 
ual elevation  of  the  people. 

But  it  has  not  reached  its  present  status  without 
the  ordinary  vicissitudes  and  struggles  incident  to  all 
great  enterprises.  Human  imperfection  has  marked 
its  whole  history,  as  it  has  that  of  every  other  un- 
dertaking of  even  good  and  well-meaning  people. 
Agents  and  editors  have  not  been  equally  skillful  or 
successful,  though  they  were  selected  with  usual  pru- 
dence, and  did  the  best  they  could  under  the  circum- 
stances. The\-  have  all,  however,  been  honest,  and 
in  this  respect  stand  indorsed  by  the  General  Confer- 
ence, which  is  high  compliment  for  men  having 
charge  of  large  funds  in  these  times.  None  of  them 
have  succeeded  in  pleasing  all  their  customers  or 
constituents,  or  entirely  escaped  criticism.  Some 
have  thought  them  too  slow,  and  that  they  ought 
to  publish  many  things  they  did  not;  and  others 
feared  they  were  too  fast;  and  perhaps  they  were 
right,  at  times,  in  relation  to  particular  cases.  None 
of  them  avoided  losses  by  bad  debts,  fraud,  or 
even  theft.  Considering  the  character  of  society,  it 
is  impossible  to  do  so  large  and  complicated  a  busi- 
ness, involving  the  employment  of  two  or  three  hun- 
dred hands,  and  dealing  with  as  many  thousands  in 
this  and  in  foreign  countries,  without  losses  in  all 
these  ways.  The  shrewdest  private  dealers  in  a 
small  way  can  hardly  run  a  little  store,  over  which 
they  personally  preside,  without  suffering  more  or 
less  from  these  sources.  Even  managers  of  small 
moneyed  institutions,  who  have  little  to  do  but  to 
sit  in  their  offices  and  watch  the  daily  operations  of 
their  subordinates,  are  often  victimized  by  them,  and 


METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN.  563 

suffer  by  the  theft  of  large  amounts.  It  is  folly, 
therefore,  to  expect  that  these  agents,  necessarily  ab- 
sent a  large  part  of  the  time  attending  the  conferences, 
and  looking  after  the  other  interests  of  the  Church, 
as  they  have  been  required  to  do,  being  the  cus- 
todians and  managers  of  most  of  its  benevolences, — 
it  is  foil}',  Ave  say,  to  expect  that  they  should  steer 
clear  of  all  losses.  They  are  obliged  to  trust  not  one 
only,  but  many,  as  they  necessarily  carry  on  several 
branches  of  business,  requiring  experience  and  skill, 
which  they  do  not  possess.  It  was  always  so,  and 
can  hardly  be  otherwise.  We  say  these  things  from 
twelve  years'  close  personal  application  to  the  busi- 
ness, and  know  whereof  we  affirm. 

A  FURTHER  WORD  ABOUT  PROFITS. 

The  amount  of  profits  made  is  not  a  safe  criterion 
by  which  to  judge  of  the  efficiency  of  agents.  There 
was  a  time  when  the  Bo<?k  Concern  alone  published 
our  denominational  sentiments.  It  could  then  charge 
any  price  for  its  issues,  and  get  it.  The  change  of 
theological  opinions  among  other  denominations  ap- 
peared at  once  in  their  books,  and  furnished  a  new 
source  of  supply  to  Methodists,  when  it  became 
necessary  for  the  Book  Concern  to  reduce  its  prices. 
The  establishment  of  the  American  Sunday-school 
Union  and  the  American  Tract  Societies,  to  furnish 
unsectarian  books,  as  they  assumed,  at  a  little  above 
cost,  made  such  reduction  imperative.  This,  of 
course,  reduced  the  profits.  Then,  again,  the  cost 
of  labor  and  material  is  sometimes  higher  in  propor- 
tion to  the  prices  the  books  will  bear.  Besides,  the 
temper  of  the  Church  has  varied,  calling  at  one  time 


564  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

for  cheap  books  and  a  large  business,  irrespective  of 
profits,  and,  at  another,  for  splendid  buildings,  etc., 
which  require  high  prices  and  large  profits. 

OF  PROPER  ESTIMATES. 

It  is  also  necessary,  in  calculating  the  profits  of 
the  business,  to  look  at  the  estimate  put  upon  the 
property  of  the  Concern.  All  that  one  agent  in- 
creases the  ratio  of  estimation  over  that  of  his  pre- 
decessor will  appear  in  his  accounts  as  profits,  while 
whatever  he  reduces  it,  will  reduce  his  show  of 
profits.  To  form  a  correct  judgment  of  the  success 
of  the  business,  all  these  things,  with  many  others, 
must  be  taken  into  the  account. 

The  writer's  theory  has  always  been  to  keep  esti- 
mates clear  down  to  cash  value,  not  in  this  business 
only,  but  in  every  business.  This  was  not  done  in 
the  Book  Concern  for  many  years ;  but  it  worked  no 
serious  damage  until  the*  agents  were  required  to 
divide  with  the  Church  South,  and  pay  them  their 
part  in  cash.  Then  they  saw  where  they  were,  and 
testified  that  their  property  was  not  worth  so  much 
as  their  own  inventory  represented  it.  But  the  judge 
would  not  go  back  on  their  books.  And,  had  it  not 
been  for  a  negotiation,  in  which  the  Church  South 
acted  leniently,  it  would  have  proved  very  disastrous. 
The  agents,  therefore,  Messrs.  Carlton  and  Phillips, 
very  justly  proposed  to  the  General  Conference  of 
1856  to  reduce  the  estimate  $114,045.56,  which  was 
done,  and  a  great  deal  more  of  the  same  sort  after- 
ward, absorbing  a  large  part  of  the  profits  during  the 
next  twelve  years,  instead  of  showing  them,  to  the 
honor  of  the   agents.     They  really  made,  according 


METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN.  565 

to  the  new  inventory  in  1869,  $789,043.35,  or  $65,- 
753.61  per  annum,  notwithstanding  the  several  finan- 
cial crises  which  occurred  during  the  time,  and 
swept  down  many  publishing  establishments,  and  sus- 
pended others  of  the  highest  rank.  And  yet,  until 
the  necessary  inflation  of  prices  by  reason  of  the 
rebellion,  the  agents  sold  books  lower  than  ever  be- 
fore, and  challenged  a  comparison  of  prices  with  their 
sharpest  competitors.* 

THE    UTILITY    OF   THE    CONCERN. 

Financially,  it  has  paid  nearly  all  the  general 
expenses  of  the  Church.  It  has  also  furnished  many 
conveniences  in  the  way  of  General  Conference  jour- 
nals, annual  minutes,  etc.,  which  have  never  sold 
enough  to  pay  one-half  of  the  cost  of  their  publica- 
tion. By  its  books  and  papers,  it  has  defended  the 
Church  against  every  assault.  There  is  hardly  a 
Church  in  the  land  in  which  witnesses  to  its  moral 
and  spiritual  power  can  not  be  found.  Fletcher's 
"  Checks, "  Watson's  Theology,  Clarke's  Commen- 
tary, and  many  others  brought  out  by  the  Book- 
room,  have  delivered  thousands  of  men  from  the 
entanglements  of  heresy.  The  writer  will  never 
cease  to  thank  God  for  their  happy  influence  on  his 
own  mind  in  settling  doctrinal  difficulties.  His  pas- 
tor had  kindly  tried  to  deliver  him  from  the  errors 
of  his  education,  and,  to  make  a  sure  thing  of  it, 
proposed  to  lend  him  four  large  volumes  (one  at 
a  time)  which  he  had  on  sale,  called  Fletcher's 
"Checks."     They  were  accepted  and  read  with  pro- 

*  This  declaration  is  substantiated  in  another  work,  which  will 
be  issued  in  due  time. 


566  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

found  delight — yea,  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory.  Watson's  Theology  came  to  his  rescue  after- 
ward in  a  contest  with  Unitarianism,  nicely  drawn 
and  sugared  to  captivate  the  young.  O,  how  the 
darkness  vanished  before  that  mighty  reasoner!  If 
all  who  have  been  brought  to  God  or  sensibly  bene- 
fited by  our  publications  were  to  stand  up  together, 
they  would  make  an  exceeding  great  army.  Yet 
more  have  been  unconsciously  benefited  by  them, 
and  hardly  know  how.  Their  sentiments  have  been 
molding  them  into  maturity  of  grace  and  thought, 
and  have  saved  them  from  many  a  slip. 

Should  the  Book-room  be  blotted  out,  it  would 
put  Methodism  back  fifty  years.  The  Church  would 
be  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do  without  it.  It 
is  an  clement  of  power  which  few  appreciate,  and 
should  be  nursed  and  cultivated.  If  it  has  some- 
times missed  the  point,  it  has  generally  hit  it.  Let 
us  rally  around  it,  patronize,  and  prune  it,  if  neces- 
sary; but  keep  it  to  its  great  work. 

OF    THE    LATE    DIFFICULTY. 

We  can  hardly  close  this  chapter  without  refer- 
ring to  the  late  difficult}'  in  and  about  the  Concern. 
It  appeared  from  two  Methodist  papers,  and  others 
to  which  certain  Methodists  had  pretty  free  access, 
that  it  had  been  suspected  and  whispered  about  for 
some  years  that  every  thing  was  not  right  at  the 
Book-room.  On  the  2ist  day  of  September,  1869, 
these  suspicions  developed  in  staring  capitals  in  the 
New  York  Times,  having  ripened  into  charges  of  fla- 
grant fraud  and  corruption.  This,  of  course,  took 
the   public   by  surprise,   and   no   one   more  than  the 


METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN.  567 

writer,  who,  though  he  had  been  assistant  agent  for 
the  twelve  years  preceding  May,  1868,  had  never 
heard  a  whisper  of  suspicion  from  any  source.  What 
it  meant  or  who  was  involved,  no  one  could  tell; 
but  it  created  a  terrible  excitement,  and  rendered  an 
immediate  investigation  by  the  proper  authorities 
indispensable.  Accordingly,  the  Book  Committee, 
composed  of  fifteen  distinguished  clergymen  of  age 
and  experience,  convened  November  4,  1869,  and 
addressed  themselves  to  the  work,  and  continued  in 
session  some  fourteen  days,  consulting  all  sources  of 
information  within  their  reach,  but  without  finding-  a 
defaulter  or  any  loss.  (Journal  of  General  Confer- 
ence of  1872,   p.   564.) 

Further  investigation  being  loudly  called  for, 
especially  by  certain  outside  parties,  and  the  Book 
Committee  desiring  to  extend  their  inquiries  to 
cover  new  charges,  etc.,  they  met  again  January 
27,  1870,  and  adjourned  on  the  tenth  of  the  fol- 
lowing month,  "making  in  all,"  they  say,  "a  full 
month  of  most  diligent  and  painstaking  research," 
during  which  they  examined  over  fifty  witnesses,  and 
carefully  considered  every  aspect  of  the  case.  The 
result  is  given  in  the  following  statement,  namely: 

"After  a  sufficient  mass  of  facts  had  been  accumulated  to 
allow  of  their  classification,  three  questions  were  proposed 
around  which  those  facts  might  be  grouped,  and  which  might 
give  system  to  further  investigations.  These  questions  were 
supposed  to  cover  the  whole  ground,  so  far  as  corruption, 
frauds,  and  losses  were  concerned.     They  are  as  follows: 

"1.  In  respect  of  the  management  or  the  conduct  of  the 
agents  or  either  of  them,  has  there  been  any  fraud  or  corrup- 
tion in  the  Book  Concern  ? 

"2.  Has  there  been  any  thing  corrupt  or  fraudulent  in  the 


568  •  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

practice  or  conduct  of  any  employe  of  the  Book  Concern,  so 
far  as  the  printing  department  is  concerned? 

"3.  Has  there  been  any  thing  fraudulent  or  corrupt  in  the 
practice  or  conduct  of  any  employe  in  the  Book  Concern,  so 
far  as  the  bindery  is  concerned? 

"These  questions,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  investigation, 
were  all  answered  in  the  negative — the  first,  by  a  unanimous 
vote;  the  second,  by  a  vote  of  eleven  out  of  thirteen,  two  de- 
clining to  vote  either  way;  and  the  third,  by  a  vote  of  nine  to 
four.  H.  Bannister  was  in  Europe,  and  G.  W.  Maltby  had 
been  excused  and  had  gone  home  on  account  of  sickness." 
(Journal  of  General  Conference  for  1872,  pp.  566,  567.) 

This  decision,  in  the  ordinary  course  of  events, 
would  have  ended  the  matter,  the  disciplinary  pro- 
visions for  detecting  wrongs  in  the  administration  of 
the  agents  being  exhausted  until  the  meeting  of  the 
next  General  Conference;  but  certain  parties,  who 
evidently  knew  a  great  deal'about  the  "suspicions" 
and  "whisperings"  before-mentioned,  were  not  satis- 
fied. They  insisted  on  further  proceedings,  and  even 
suggested  the  organization  of  a  new  court,  embracing 
gentlemen  of  other  denominations,  contrary  to  all 
practice  in  Methodist  jurisprudence ;  and  they  suc- 
ceeded, not  exactly  in  form,  but  in  effect;  for  such 
was  the  clamor  that,  even  after  this  verdict  of  com- 
plete acquittal  of  the  parties  involved  was  adopted 
and  published,  the  committee,  in  their  long-suffering, 
yielded  so  far  as  to  put  a  new  man  (James  P.  Kil- 
breth,  Esq.)  to  work,  with  plenary  powers  to  subject 
all  parties  concerned  to  another  searching  inquisition, 
in  person  and  by  assistants,  and  referred  to  him  "all 
the  various  allegations  and  charges  of  fraud  and  mis- 
management made  from  time  to  time  by  the  assist- 
ant agent  against  the  Book  Concern,  and  especially 
'such  books  and  accounts  and  business,  of  whatever 


METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN.  569 

date  or  of  whatever  department  of  the  Concern,  as 
by  such  allegations  are  said  to  involve  frauds,  losses, 
or  mismanagement.'"     (Journal  for  1872,  p.  589.) 

We  mention  this,  not  to  blame  the  committee — 
they  did  their  work  well,  considering  their  surround- 
ings— but  to  show  to  what  extremes  the  investigation 
was  pushed.  The  whole  ground  had  been  gone  over 
again  and  again  by  ex  parte  and  mutual  experts, 
without  finding  the  long-sought  object. 

Still,  the  committee  did  not  swerve  from  their 
verdict,  and  claimed  to  the  last,  1.  That  no  serious 
frauds  or  losses  had  been  proved;  2.  That  it  was 
impossible  that  the  business  should  have  prospered 
as  it  had  done,  if  weakened  by  the  constant  drain 
upon  its  resources  involved  in  the  frauds  alleged; 
3.  That  the  Book  Committees,  during  the  time  in- 
volved, had  "fully  and  upon  personal  inspection 
indorsed  the  business  methods  and  management  of 
the  Concern,  and  had  reported  in  the  most  approving 
terms  of  the  ability,  fidelity,  and  success  with  which 
every  department  was  administered;"  4.  "That  dur- 
ing the  year  1862,  in  pursuance  of  an  order  from  the 
preceding  General  Conference  [suggested  by  one  of 
the  agents],  the  books  and  business  methods  of  the 
Concern  were  subjected  to  an  unusually  scrutinizing 
examination  by  a  competent  accountant,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Book  Committee,"  consisting  of  Dr. 
George  Peck,  C.  B.  Tippett  (an  old  book  agent), 
Gardner  Baker,  \V.  H.  Pillsbury,  John  Coil,  M. 
D'C.  Crawford,  and  S.  Y.  Monroe,  which  commit- 
tee reported  to  the  General  Conference  in  1864,  after 
referring  to  that  examination:  "Careful  investigation 
has   satisfied    us    that   the    agents    in   charge    of   the 

48 


570  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Concern  are  interested,  capable,  and  faithful  men. 
Each  successive  year  the  conviction  has  strength- 
ened that  they  are  the  right  men  in  the  right 
•place."  (Journal  of  General  Conference  for  1872, 
pp.   590,   591.) 

They  go  further  even,  and  declare  "that  the 
result  of  these  investigations  has  been  a  growing 
conviction  that  (instead  of  the  '  chaos '  which  was 
charged)  the  business  management  is  orderly  and 
systematic;  that  theory  and  practice  are  as  nearly 
perfect  as  could  well  be  expected  in  a  business  so 
peculiar  as  is  that  of  the  Methodist  Book  Concern." 
(p.  592.) 

MR.    KILBRETH'S    REPORT. 

Mr.  Kilbreth  seems  to  have  addressed  himself 
earnestly  to  the  work  assigned  him,  taking  a  wider 
range  than  did  the  Book  Committee,  and  ample  time 
to  traverse  each  point.  His  report  contains  many 
wise  criticisms  and  conclusions.  It  is  not,  however, 
without  mistakes.  Had  he  consulted  one  man,  who 
ought  to  know  something  of  all  the  matters  in  ques- 
tion, he  would  have  modified  some  of  his  statements, 
if  not  one  or  more  of  his  conclusions;  but,  taken  as 
a  whole,  it  indicates  marked  ability,  and  adds  great 
weight  to  the  report  of  the  Book  Committee,  espe- 
cially with  regard  to  the  integrity  of  the  agents,  of 
the  often-accused  foreman  of  the  printing-office,  and 
of  the  untruth  of  the  assumed  losses.      He  says: 

"I  do  not  find  any  evidence  whatever  of  fraud  against 
Mr.  Goodenough,  formerly  superintendent  of  the  printing 
department.  The  printing-office,  in  its  internal  government, 
was,  I  think,  never  better  managed  than  tinder  his  superin- 
tendency."     (Journal,  p.  615.) 


ME T HOD  1ST  BOOK  CONCERN.  5 7 1 

The  only  complaint  against  him  was  that  he 
bought  paper  of  one  particular  man,  a  regular  paper 
dealer.  And  the  wrong  of  this  consisted  not  in  his 
paying  more  than  a  fair  market  price;  for  he  denies 
this,  and  proves,  by  Mr.  Warren,  one  of  the  two  chief 
manufacturers  who  furnished  the  paper,  that  he  paid 
less,  and  would  have  proved  it  by  the  other,  if  he 
had  not  refused  to  answer  his  questions.      He  ^ays: 

"I  have  not  been  able  to  discover  the  slightest  evidence 
of  any  corrupt  collusion  between  Mr.  Goodenough  and  Mr. 
in  the  business  transactions  with  which  they  were  con- 
nected. As  to  Mr.  Goodenough' s  honesty  as  Superintendent 
of  the  Printing  Department,  after  a  thorough  examination,  I 
have  not  a  suspicion  or  a  doubt.  That  he  discharged  his  duties 
faithfully  is  undeniable.  Nor  have  I  seen  any  evidence  to  con- 
vince me  that  the  commissions  of ,  large  as  some  of  them 

were,  came  out  of  the  Book  Concern."    (Journal,  pp.  604,  605.) 

We  confess  to  particular  pleasure  in  this  estimate 
of  Mr.  Goodenough,  because  it  perfectly  accords  with 
that  of  the  agents  for  twelve  years  of  intimate  connec- 
tion with  him.  If  he  erred  in  the  matter  complained 
of,  he  did  so  by  following  distinguished  precedents  in 
all  departments  of  business,  and  gave  another  evi- 
dence of  his  fidelity  by  carrying  out  the  standing 
instructions  of  his  employers;  namely,  to  purchase 
paper  when  and  of  whom  he  could  get  it  at  the 
lowest  rate  for  cash. 

Mr.  Hoffman,  Superintendent  of  the  bindery,  be- 
ing called  away  to  Chicago  on  business  engagements, 
and  having  little  opportunity  to  speak  for  himself, 
after  a  few  of  the  early  meetings  of  the  Book  Com- 
mittee, seems  to  have  fallen  under  suspicion.  Mr. 
Kilbreth  believed  him  to  have  been  dishonest,  though 
he  concedes  it   would  be  difficult  to  prove  it.      His 


572  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

criticisms  of  some  of  the  witnesses  against  him  are 
most  pertinent  and  just.  Had  Mr.  Hoffman  been 
present  to  explain  certain  matters,  best  known  by 
himself,  the  report  would  probably  have  been  differ- 
ent. Messrs.  Carlton  &  Porter  employed  him  for 
twelve  years,  and  Carlton  &  Phillips  several  years 
before  and  watched  him,  as  they  did  others,  more 
carefully  than  appears  by  the  books;  but  failed  to 
detect  him  in  the  slighest  dishonesty.  If  they  were 
at  fault,  it  was  in  not  paying  him  more  for  his  serv- 
ices, for  he  received  less  than  he  was  worth.  But 
he  is  gone  from  a  new  and  prosperous  business  to 
eternity,  where,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  all  wrongs  will  be 
righted. 

How  much  loss  the  Concern  sustained  by  him, 
if  any,  Mr.  Kilbreth  can  not  tell.  "Not  formidable 
enough,"  he  says,  "to  create  any  great  sensation;" 
"falls  very  far  short  of  what  has  been"  so  frequently 
reported;"  does  not  "much  exceed  the  expenses 
already  incurred  in  investigating  them;"  and  is  not 
sufficient  to  embarrass  the  business. 

We  think  this  getting  through  pretty  well,  every 
thing  considered,  and  so  did  the  referee  himself,  for 
he  says,  after  dragging  through  the  labyrinth  of  doc- 
uments, enough  to  make  a  printed  book  as  large  as 
the  Bible: 

"  It  is  to  me  a  matter  of  wonder  that,  in  so  large  a  business 
as  the  Book  Concern  has  been  doing  for  so  many  years,  the 
frauds  and  irregularities  discovered,  after  searching  examina- 
tions, are  so  small — smaller,  I  doubt  not,  than  would  be  found 
in  the  average  in  houses  of  equal  business,  and  employing  as 
many  persons."     (Journal,  p.  616.) 

Had  the  two  deceased  book-keepers,  Mr.  Edwards 

and  Mr.  Simpson,  been  alive  and  present  to  explain 


METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN.  573 

their  work;  and  had  the  former  Assistant  Book 
Agent  been  invited  to  tell  what  he  knew  of  the 
matter,  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  findings  would  have 
been  still  more  gratifying. 

ONE    MORE    ORDEAL   TO    PASS. 

But  the  investigation  was  not  entirely  ended. 
The  Concern  had  one  more  ordeal  to  pass ;  namely, 
the  General  Conference.  This  body  assembled  May 
1,  1872,  and  submitted  the  whole  subject  to  a  special 
committee  of  seventy-two  able  ministers  and  laymen 
from  all  parts  of  the  country,  one  from  each  annual 
conference.  This  committee  went  through  the  case 
in  a  business-like  manner,  we  judge  from  their  re- 
port, calling  for  persons  and  papers  at  discretion,  and 
coming  generally  to  Mr.  Kilbreth's  conclusions,  that 
the  agents  and  Mr.  Goodenough  were  honest,  and  no 
losses  had  been  sustained  in  any  part  of  the  house 
except  in  the  bindery,  through  Mr.  Hoffman,  but  that 
there  had  been  some  irregularities  in  the  book-keep- 
ing, etc.,  etc.  These  conclusions  were  accepted  by 
the  General  Conference,  and  the  long-continued  strug- 
gle was  ended.      (Journal,  pp.  364-368.) 

Thus  it  appears  that  all  these  investigations  came 
to  about  the  same  result.  How  much  importance 
should  be  attached  to  the  opinions  rendered  in  regard 
to  methods  of  book-keeping,  business,  etc. ,  is  a  ques- 
tion worthy  of  consideration.  Most  men  will  be 
likely  to  take  sides  with  honest  and  competent 
agents,  book-keepers,  clerks,  and  foremen  who  were 
in  the  Concern  at  the  time  of  the  transactions,  and 
having  to  do  with  them  from  day  to  day,  rather  than 
with   wiser   men,  coming  in   and   investigating  them 


5  74  HIST  OR  V  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

ten  or  fifteen  years  after,  in  the  absence  of  important 
parties  involved;  and  especially  if  the  business  was 
done  successfully,  and  was  indorsed,  and  even  compli- 
mented, by  its  official  supervisors  and  guardians  at 
the  time,  as  was  emphatically  true  in  this  case. 

We  have  presented  this  outline  of  the  late  diffi- 
culty and  its  results,  without  entering  into  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  merits  of  the  case,  believing  that  it 
would  be  useful  to  many  who  have  not  access  to  the 
proper  sources  of  information.  Personally,  we  had 
very  little  to  do  with  the  investigation,  though  always 
ready  to  respond  when  approached  by  the  proper 
authorities.  At  the  call  of  the  Book  Committee,  we 
went  before  them,  and  testified  on  a  few  specified 
points.  Beyond  this,  we  were  never  invited  by  com- 
mittees, experts,  referees,  courts,  or  conference,  to 
give  the  slightest  information  on  the  subject.  Why 
we  should  have  been  overlooked,  if  information  was 
really  the  object  sought,  has  seemed  a  little  singular ; 
for  it  was  erroneously  assumed  that  we  had  special 
jurisdiction  of  certain  heads  of  departments,  and  in 
any  case  we  would  be  as  likely  to  know  the  facts  by 
reason  of  our  connection  with  the  business  as  any 
other  available  person. 

Here  we  leave  the  matter,  trusting  that  every 
man,  legitimately  and  openly  concerned  in  the  affair, 
followed  his  honest  convictions,  and  did  what  he 
judged  to  be  right.  All  may  have  erred.  Some 
have  been  grievously  wronged  ;  but  it  is  too  late  to 
repair  the  damage.  The  strife  did  not  originate  in 
the  Book  Concern,  nor  was  that  the  center  of  its 
power.  But,  let  us  comfort  ourselves  with  the  fact 
that  this  was  the  first  trial  of  the  kind  the  Concern 


METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN.  575 

had  experienced   since  its   commencement,  in  1780 
more  than  eighty  years  before,  during  which  time  it 

fhTir.H      rt^  rdigi0l,S  Publishi"g  h°™  i" 
the  world.     Tins  is  an  honorable  record,  considering 

how  many  financial  institutions,  even  of  a  benevolent 

character,  had  then,  and  have  since,  been  ruined  by 

defalcations  and  bad  management. 


576  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

RELATIVE    PROGRESS    OF    METHODISM — SECRETS    OF    ITS    SUC- 
CESS  SUSTAINED    BY   DISTINGUISHED     LAYMEN PECUL- 
IAR MINISTERS   CALLED ITS  FUTURE  SUGGESTED. 

FROM  this  hasty  sketch  it  must  appear  to  every 
reader,  who  is  not  blinded  by  prejudice,  that 
Methodism  has  been  peculiarly  successful.  A  little 
more  than  one  hundred  years  ago  it  had  no  organized 
existence  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  Some  eight  or 
ten  persons  then  came  to  Mr.  Wesley,  who  appeared 
to  be  deeply  convinced  of  sin,  and  earnestly  groaning 
for  redemption.  Here  was  the  nucleus  around  which 
we  now  behold  this  mighty  array.  Has  not  the 
"little  one,"  indeed,  "become  a  thousand?"  This 
movement  occurred  in  the  city  of  London,  and,  for 
aught  that  was  known  to  the  contrary,  was  to  be 
limited  to  that  great  metropolis.  No  mortal  could 
then  foretell  that  it  would  be  re-enacted  in  any  other 
place.  It  was  a  mere  trifle — a  circumstance  that 
might  have  occurred  a  hundred  times  without  public 
notice,  and  indicated  nothing  remarkable.  But,  like 
the  ' '  grain  of  mustard-seed  which  is  the  least  of  all 
seeds"  that  became  the  "greatest  among  herbs,"  this 
germ  has  shot  forth  its  branches  over  the  four  quarters 
of  the  globe,  and  innumerable  birds  lodge  therein. 
It  is  certain  that  such  a  work  has  never  been 
accomplished    in   so   short    a    time    since    the    world 


RELA  TIVE  PR  0  GRESS  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM,         577 

began.  And  it  is  not  less  certain  that  no  system  of 
religious  propagandism  has  ever  had  so  much  oppo- 
sition to  overcome.  Yet  it  has  gone  steadily  on  in 
weal  and  woe,  converting  its  worst  enemies,  and  suc- 
ceeding often  in  its  greatest  defeats.  Its  prosperity 
has  been  universal  and  almost  unceasing  ;  its  adversity, 
only  local  and  temporary.  And  its  progress  was 
never  greater,  or  its  prospects  brighter,  than  at 
present. 

With  the  Church  of  England,  and  other  national 
establishments,  we,  of  course,  can  institute  no  com- 
parisons, because  they  swallow  up  all  sects  and  par- 
ties that  come  within  their  geographical  bounds, 
whether  good,  bad,  or  indifferent.  Nor  is  it  fair  to 
compare  Methodists,  and  other  evangelical  Churches, 
with  those  sects  which  pander  to  popular  corruptions, 
and  receive  persons  of  all  descriptions  to  their  fellow- 
ship, without  regard  to  their  religious  character. 
Rich  and  fashionable  societies,  which  say  little  of  our 
obligations  beyond  the  observance  of  mere  Church 
rites,  may  draw  around  them  an  accumulation  of 
chaff,  in  which  there  will  be  little  wheat.  The  com- 
parison, to  be  just  and  fair,  should  relate  only  to 
those  whose  circumstances  are  equal  in  other  respects, 
and  who  require  the  same  change  of  heart  and  life 
as  the  condition  of  their  fellowship.  But  we  will  not 
be  particular.  A  few  facts  will  be  sufficient  for  our 
purpose. 

The  Independents ',  of  England,  arose  about  the 
year  1600.  They  dissented  from  the  establishment 
under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  John  Robinson,  adopted 
Calvinistic  views  and  Congregational  government. 
The   Baptists   appeared   soon   after,   adopting  similar 

49 


578  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM. 

sentiments  and  modes  of  operation,  but  differing 
from  the  Independents  in  relation  to  the  subjects  of 
baptism,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  should  be  ad- 
ministered. They  were  afterward  divided,  a  part 
becoming  Arminians.  The  Presbyterians  had  com- 
menced their  career  half  a  century  before.  But  with 
this  advantage  as  to  time,  and  with  others  which  we 
need  not  enumerate,  the  aggregate  numbers  and 
influence  of  all  these  denominations  in  England  is 
not  equal  to  that  of  the  Methodists. 

Methodism  has  not  been  less  successful  in  Amer- 
ica. The  Congregationalists  have  occupied  this  field 
ever  smce  the  landing  of  the  Mayflower  in  1620. 
They  first  settled  the  country,  particularly  New  Eng- 
land, and  for  many  years  managed  matters,  both 
civil  and  religious,  much  in  their  own  way,  and  ex- 
cluded all  dissenters  from  their  territory.  They  now 
number  3,233  ministers,  and  323,679  Church  mem- 
bers. The  Baptists  have  had  nearly  the  same  time 
to  multiply,  their  first  Church  having  been  formed 
by  Roger  Williams  in  1638.  The  regular  Calvinistic 
Baptists  now  number  12,598  ministers,  and  1,633,939 
members.  The  first  presbytery  in  the  country  was 
organized  in  1705,  about  eighty  years  before  the  or- 
ganization of  our  Church  ;  and,  in  common  with  the 
other  leading  denominations,  the  Presbyterians  have 
done  a  great  and  good  work.  The  Old  and  New 
Schools  together  embrace  6,241  ministers,  and  675,- 
042  members.  The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  has 
been  less  successful,  though  it  commenced  its  opera- 
tions in  the  very  infancy  of  the  colonies,  and  had 
much  to  favor  it  till  after  the  Revolution.  It  at  pres- 
ent numbers  3,095  ministers,  and  254,857  members. 


RELA  TIVE  PROGRESS  OF  METHODISM.         5 79 

Other  denominations  have  done  well,  and  have  con- 
tributed greatly  to  the  religious  influence  of  the 
country,  but  are  less  numerous. 

Now,  when  it  is  considered  that  the  first  Meth- 
odist missionary  to  this  country  arrived  in  1769,  and 
that  the  Church  was  not  organized  until  1784,  and 
has  since  had  to  contend  with  poverty  and  prejudices 
incident  to  no  other  Christian  body  that  has  attained 
to  any  considerable  importance  in  the  community, 
and  that,  nevertheless,  it  now  numbers  in  all  its 
branches  19,156  ministers,  and  3,031,988  members, 
it  must  be  conceded  that  it  has  been  wonderfully 
favored. 

Another  view  of  the  subject  will  indicate  this 
truth  with  equal  distinctness.  In  1795  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  numbered  60,291  members, 
which  was  about  one  to  every  sixty  of  the  whole 
population  of  the  country.  It  now  embraces  about 
one  in  every  thirteen  and  a  half  of  the  present  popula- 
tion— showing  a  proportionate  increase,  exceeding 
that  of  the  rapid  increase  of  the  population  of  the 
country,  as  nearly  five  to  one.  Now,  with  all  re- 
spect to  sister  denominations,  and  we  certainly  enter- 
tain a  high  regard  for  them,  we  affirm  that  the  like 
advancement  is  not  to  be  seen  in  the  progress  of  any 
one  above  mentioned.  Indeed,  several  of  them  have 
lost  nearly  in  the  proportion  that  we  have  gained, 
and  no  one  of  them  has  increased  in  the  same  ratio 
by  a  very  large  per  centum,  notwithstanding  tens  of 
thousands  who  have  been  converted  among  us  have 
united  with  them. 

What  has  given  us  this  peculiar  distinction  is  a 
question    that    wise    men    have    solved    differently. 


580  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

Some  say  one  thing,  and  some  another ;  but  all, 
who  trace  it  to  any  single  circumstance  abstract  from 
others,  evidently  err,  not  fully  comprehending  the 
system  in  all  its  parts. 

It  can  not  be  attributed  to  our  doctrines  merely, 
for  others  have  preached  the  same.  Nor  to  our  lit- 
erary attainments,  for  in  this  respect  we  are  frank  to 
acknowledge  ourselves  behind  some  other  denomi- 
nations. Though  many  of  our  preachers  are  literary 
men,  and  have  astonished  the  world  by  their  produc- 
tions, the  masses  lay  no  claim  to  this  character. 
They  have,  however,  been  grossly  misrepresented 
by  certain  clerical  pretenders,  who  have  not  dis- 
tinguished themselves  for  modesty  and  good  breed- 
ing, however  profound  their  learning.  But  some  of 
these  have  had  their  reward  in  the  mortification  of 
seeing  their  enlightened  hearers  forsake  them  to 
attend  upon  the  more  tangible  and  effective  ministra- 
tions of  their  itinerating  neighbors.  They  may  yet 
learn  that  ministerial  education  does  not  consist  in 
mere  sheep-skin  diplomas,  and  that  it  is  not  policy 
to  ridicule  whom  God  and  his  people  "delight  to 
honor." 

Had  Methodists  been  rich  in  this  world's  goods, 
their  success  might  have  been  attributed  to  this  cause  ; 
but,  like  the  Savior  and  his  early  disciples,  they  have 
generally  been  poor.  They  could  not  appeal  to  the 
pride  and  vanity  of  the  world,  by  erecting  splendid 
churches,  and  otherwise  making  a  great  display,  if 
they  had  been  disposed.  They  have  had  to  preach  in 
private  dwellings,  school-houses,  barns,  and  in  the 
open  air,  till  they  could  erect  churches.  And  many 
of  these,  for  the  want  of  means,  have  been  small  and 


RELA  TI VE  PR  0  GRESS  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM.        5  8 1 

often  out  of  place,  and  uninviting.  And  the  world 
has  looked  on  and  mocked,  and  professors  of  religion 
have  not  unfrequently  joined  in  the  sport.  This 
same  cause  has  been  an  occasion  of  reproach  to 
preachers,  who  have  often  had  to  live  in  a  style 
directly  calculated  to  lessen  the  respect  of  commu- 
nity for  them,  and  also  for  their  enterprise. 

We  can  not  trace  this  prosperity  to  any  one  in- 
strumental cause,  and  say,  that  is  it;  for  it  is  evidently 
attributable  to  many  causes.  Our  doctrines,  our 
style  of  presenting  them,  our  itinerancy,  and  other 
prudential  regulations,  have  all  had  an  influence. 
No  one  item  in  our  economy  has  been  without  effect 
in  carrying  forward  this  grand  consummation;  and, 
we  think,  some  of  the  least  prominent  of  our  meas- 
ures have  been  most  effective.  God  has  seemed  to 
approve  the  whole  movement,  and  crown  every  hon- 
est and  faithful  endeavor  with  his  blessing.  To  him 
we  ascribe  all  the  glory.  He  has  gone  before  his 
people,  and  led  them  as  a  shepherd  his  flock,  into 
green  pastures  and  beside  the  still  waters.  He  has 
attended  them  in  dangers,  and  made  a  way  for  their 
escape.  In  difficulties  he  has  been  their  helper,  sug- 
gesting measures,  suppressing  prejudices,  converting 
foes  to  friends,  and  begetting  interest  and  liberality 
where  there  was  enmity  and  covetousness. 

Numerous  instances  have  occurred  where  the  in- 
fluential, supported  by  the  rabble,  as  usual,  have 
determined  the  Methodists  should  not  make  a  stand 
among  them,  and  united  to  prevent  it;  and  not  un- 
frequently the  minister  of  the  place  has  taken  a  lead- 
ing part  in  the  conspiracy.  But,  notwithstanding 
their  vigilance  and  power,  Methodism  has  taken  root 


582  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

and  become  established;  and  would  have  been  alike 
successful  in  more  places  of  the  kind  had  its  friends 
been  true  to  their  principles. 

POINTS    OF    VITAL    INTEREST. 

There  are,  however,  several  peculiarities  which 
have  especially  operated  to  give  effect  to  the  move- 
ment that  are  worthy  of  particular  consideration. 
One  is  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  and  the 
clear  witness  of  the  Spirit  to  its  accomplishment, 
producing  "righteousness,  peace,  and  joy  in  the 
Holy  Ghost."  Methodism  found  the  Christian  world 
generally  in  unbelief  as  to  the  possibility  of  knowing 
ourselves  pardoned,  or  living  happy  in  God,  except 
in  some  rare  cases.  It  taught  repentance,  obedience, 
and  hope,  but  not  assurance.  The  religion  inculcated 
was,  therefore,  a  sad  affair — accepted,  not  for  its 
own  excellence,  but  to  protect  against  future  punish- 
ment, and  borne  as  a  burden.  -  Of  course,  it  brought 
no  power,  and  made  little  difference  in  one's  life,  ex- 
cept in  ceremonial  observances.  Few  cared  for  it, 
therefore,  till  brought  into  the  presence  of  death. 

Methodism  presented  religion  as  a  thing  of  power, 
embracing  pardon  to  the  guilty  and  regeneration  to 
the  profligate,  strength  to  the  weak,  eyes  to  the 
blind,  and  a  complete  supply  of  every  necessity  to 
enable  one  to  walk  with  God,  and  be  good  and  happy. 
It  offered  something  to  be  obtained  immediately — a 
joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory  to  the  poor  and 
miserable.  It  was  accordingly  carried  at  the  first  to 
the  most  needy — in  poor-houses,  jails,  and  other  suf- 
ferers among  the  lowest  and  meanest  of  human  be- 
ings, and  not  preached  merely,  but  exemplified,   its 


RELATIVE  PROGRESS  OF  METHODISM.        583 

teachers  witnessing  to  its  truth,  showing  what  it  did 
for  them.  A  teacher,  to  be  effective,  must  "know 
of  the  doctrine"  that  it  is  of  God — must  feel  the  sal- 
vation he  urges  upon  others  as  the  greatest  and  grand- 
est thing  in  the  universe — must  be  thrilled  with  his 
theme. 

Another  potent  fact  is,  that  Methodists  have 
aimed  directly,  and  always  (professionally,  at  least) 
at  the  conversion  and  sanctification  of  sinners.  If 
they  have  preached  the  Gospel  it  has  been  for  a  pur- 
pose— to  win  men  to  Christ.  And  this  being  their 
object,  they  have  generally  followed  up  the  preach- 
ing with  prayer  and  private  advices.  Men  who  are 
really  converted,  and  are  earnestly  seeking  to  con- 
vert sinners,  will  succeed.  If  Methodists  let  go  of 
these  elements  of  their  power,  they  will  be  weak  like 
other  men  —  their  doctrine  and  economy  can  not 
save  them. 

Underlying  these  qualities  is  another  which  vital- 
izes the  whole  system,  I  mean  faith  in  the  practi- 
cability of  success  under  just  the  circumstances  sur- 
rounding us.  There  are  many  wrho  believe  it  possible 
to  do  some  good  thing  "if,  and  if  and  if;"  but  the 
ifs  being  wanting,  their  faith  is  the  poorest  unbelief. 
The  early  Methodists  started  out  in  confidence — that 
"all  things  are  possible  to  him  that  believeth,"  and 
they  struck  for  the  most  difficult  cases  first — for  thieves 
and  robbers  and  other  public  sinners.  Many  said  there 
is  no  use  in  visiting  convicts,  or  the  miners,  or  the 
Catholics,  or  the  slaves,  or  the  heathen — they  are  be- 
yond hope.  Yet  Methodists  visited  all  these  classes 
and  found  them  more  convertible  than  many  religion- 
ists who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  and  did  not 


584  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

know  it.  It  was  their  faith  that  "subdued  kingdoms, 
wrought  righteousness,  obtained  promises,  stopped 
the  mouths  of  lions,  quenched  the  violence  of  fire, 
escaped  the  edge  of  the  sword ;  out  of  weakness  was 
made  strong,  waxed  valiant  in  fight,  turned  to  flight 
the  armies  of  the  aliens."  With  these  qualities  they 
were  daring  and  persistent  where  others  were  timid, 
vacillating,  and  powerless.  Looking  unto  Jesus, 
they  endured  the  cross,  despised  the  shame,  and  laid 
hold  on  eternal  life  for  themselves  and  others. 

DISTINGUISHED    LAYMEN    CALLED. 

But  no  view  of  this  subject  can  be  complete  with- 
out recognizing  the  providence  of  God  in  raising  up 
men  to  meet  the  ever-recurring  emergencies  of  the 
cause.  We  glanced  at  this  point  in  connection  with 
the  British  Conference.  It  is  equally  pertinent  in 
application  to  American  Methodism.  In  the  days  of 
the  Revolution,  when  most  of  our  preachers  were 
foreigners,  the  Church  was  greatly  assisted  by  influ- 
ential laymen,  whose  natural  connections  led  them 
to  other  and  more  popular  associations.  Judges 
White  and  Barrett  protected  Mr.  Asbury,  and  other 
preachers,  when  they  were  hunted  by  political  mobs, 
and  afterward  procured  the  erection  of  churches  still 
bearing  their  names.  Richard  Bassett — also  a  distin- 
guished lawyer,  Governor  of  Delaware,  a  member  of 
the  convention  which  framed  the  American  Constitu- 
tion, and  afterward  a  Senator  in  'the  First  Congress, 
and  Judge  of  the  United  States  Court — stood  by  the 
Church  and  its  heroic  pioneers  to  the  last.  It  is  dif- 
ficult to  see  what  they  would  have  done  in  those 
days   of  their  greatest  trials  without  such  influential 


RELATIVE  PROGRESS  OF  METHODISM.         585 

friends ;  and  there  has  never  been  a  day  since,  when, 
with  all  our  weakness  and  unpopularity  with  political 
and  worldly  men,  that  we  have  not  had  able  and  in- 
fluential laymen  representing  our  type  of  spiritual 
life  in  the  high  places  of  the  nation. 

The  name  of  John  M'Lean  is  worthy  of  honorable 
mention  in  this  connection.  While  a  young  lawyer  he 
was  awakened  and  converted  under  the  preaching  of 
an  itinerant,  Rev.  John  Collins,  at  Lebanon,  Ohio,  in 
1807,  and  took  high  ground  for  God  and  the  Church 
through  all  his  future  life.      Dr.  Stevens  justly  says : 

"The  United  States  never  had  a  more  upright  or 
a  more  honorable  citizen,  nor  American  Methodism 
a  more  faithful  member  than  Judge  M'Lean.  He 
was  commanding  in  person,  tall  and  symmetrical  in 
stature,  with  a  Platonic  brow,  thoughtful,  tranquil 
features,  and  the  most  modest  but  cordial  manners. 
He  was  an  able  statesman — almost  infallible  in  his 
cautious  judgment — a  thoroughly  devoted  Christian, 
persevering  and  punctual  in  the  minutest  duties  of 
his  Church,  and  catholic  in  his  regard  for  good  men 
of  whatever  sect.  Lawyer,  member  of  Congress, 
Supreme  Judge  of  Ohio,  member  of  the  Cabinets  of 
Monroe  and  Adams,  and  Supreme  Justice  of  the  Re- 
public, he  passed  through  a  long  life  unblemished, 
and  above  all  his  titles,  gloried  in  that  of  a  Chris- 
tian."    (Hist.  Vol.  IV,  pp.  381,  382.) 

His  influence  for  the  cause  was  remarkable.  The 
first  thing  we  recollect  to  have  heard  of  him  was, 
that  while  occupied  with  high  and  responsible  duties 
at  Washington,  he  would  find  time  to  attend  his 
class  and  mingle  with  his  humbler  brethren  and  sis- 
ters   in    Christian    social    communion.      We    might 


586  HIST  OR  Y  OF  ME  THODISM. 

mention  multitudes  of  other  noble  men,  dead  and 
living,  who  have  contributed  largely  to  the  wonder- 
ful achievements  under  consideration,  but  our  limits 
will  not  admit  of  it.  But  it  may  be  said  of  most  of 
them  that  they  were  brought  into  the  Church  while 
young,  and  owed  much  of  their  subsequent  honor 
and  prosperity  to  the  religion  of  Christ.  They 
sought  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  all  these  things 
were  added.  Others,  who  were  converted,  might  have 
done  as  well  had  they  not  become  ambitious,  and 
turned  back  to  the  beggarly  elements  of  the  world. 

PROVIDENTIAL    CALL    OF    MINISTERS. 

A  cause  embracing  such  a  variety  of  character 
and  condition  to  be  influenced  as  that  of  Method- 
ism, requires  a  great  diversity  of  taste,  talent,  and 
adaptation  in  its  agencies.  Striking  out  to  save  the 
world — broken  up  into  different  tribes,  languages  and 
social  habits — no  one  style  of  ministers  could  reach 
the  whole.  A  greater  variety  than  could  be  pro- 
duced by  any  human  arrangements  was  necessary, 
and  God  seems  to  have  met  the  demand  by  calling 
men  of  all  nations,  and  about  at  the  time  when  they 
seemed  to  have  been  needed. 

For  many  years  the  Church  had  no  periodical, 
and  few  writers,  and  did  well  without  them.  Nearly 
the  whole  strength  of  the  ministry  was  applied  to 
preaching  and  other  revival  measures.  Every  one 
defended  himself  when  assailed  as  he  was  able,  and 
passed  along,  trusting  in  God.  But  the  time  arrived 
when  Methodism  was  attacked  by  Calvinists  of  dif- 
ferent schools  and  sects  in  concert  and  by  wholesale, 
and  needed  a  David  or  a  Paul  to  defend  it:  when, 


RELATIVE  PROGRESS  OF  METHODISM.         587 

lo  !  a  young  man  from  Canada  appeared  on  the  field 
with  just  the  capacity  and  "mind  for  the  work." 
He  had  strayed  away  from  his  birthplace,  in  Con- 
necticut, into  that  wilderness,  to  seek  his  fortune, 
where  he  encountered  a  flaming  itinerant,  Joseph 
Sawyer,  and  was  brought  to  God  and  to  the  love  of 
the  people  he  had  only  despised.  The  change  was 
thorough,  making  him  a  new  creature  throughout, 
and  brought  down  upon  him  the  wrath  of  the  wicked. 
But  such  was  his  nature,  this  only  fired  him  with 
fresh  zeal,  and  he  went  forth  a  flaming  minister,  and 
the  most  courageous,  timely  and  valiant  defender  of 
the  faith.  This  was  Nathan  Bangs,  for  many  years 
book  agent,  editor,  and  chief  controversial  writer. 
Whatever  may  he  thought  of  his  later  course  with 
regard  to  our  internal  controversies,  Methodism  is 
indebted  to  him  for  its  many  and  able  defenses 
against  the  slander  of  its  enemies.  He  did  a  noble 
work  in  this  respect  as  well  as  in  the  expansion  of 
our  missionary,  literary,  and  educational  interests.  He 
lived  just  at  the  time  when  his  peculiar  qualifications 
were  needed  and  could  be  turned  to  the  best  account, 
and  was,  therefore,  a  great   blessing  to   the  Church. 

Rev.  Timothy  Merritt  and  Dr.  Fisk,  of  New  Eng- 
land, belonged  to  this  class,  and  rendered  excellent 
service  in  repelling  the  darts  of  our  enemies.  They 
were  both  beautiful  examples  of  Christian  purity  and 
urbanity,  and  wrote  with  much  care  and  power. 

But  our  cause  often  suffered  more  from  neglect 
than  from  abuse.  This  was  the  case,  at  first,  in  New 
York,  when  the  community  was  startled  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  an  old  warrior  in  the  pulpit,  sword  in  hand. 
This  drew  the  multitudes,  when  Captain  Webb  by  his 


588  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

prayers  and  tears  won  many  to  God.  Other  men  of 
peculiar  style  or  talent,  such  as  Capers,  Bascom, 
Emory,  Fisk,  and  many  more,  were  always  about,  and 
commanded  attention.  But  in  addition  to  these,  the 
Church  enjoyed  the  labors  of  still  more  remarkable 
characters,  who  so  excited  public  curiosity  as  to  se- 
cure Methodism  a  hearing. 

Among-  these  was  John  Summerfield,  a  young 
Irishman,  who  came  to  America  in  1821,  an  accred- 
ited Methodist  preacher  of  two  years'  standing,  and 
was  stationed  in  New  York.  Though  in  appearance 
but  a  boy,  and  but  twenty-three  years  old,  his  fame 
spread  through  all  the  States,  and  he  was  called  out 
on  great  public  occasions,  and  astonished  every  body 
by  his  marvelous  power.  No  one  could  tell  why,  but 
he  moved  every  heart.  He  was  simple  and  artless 
as  a  child,  but  completely  consecrated  to  God,  and 
preached  in  every  look,  tone,  gesture,  and  motion. 
Though  greatly  excelled  intellectually  by  Joshua 
Soule,  Marvin  Richardson,  and  others  of  his  col- 
leagues, he  left  them  all  in  the  shade  in  point  of  pop- 
ularity. No  house  could  hold  the  people  who,  in 
spite  of  prejudice  against  Methodism,  would  crowd 
to  hear  him.  And,  being  true  to  Jesus  and  the 
Church  of  his  love,  he  commanded  respect  for  both 
that  they  had  not  enjoyed.  His  second  appearance 
in  America  was  on  the  platform,  at  the  anniversary 
of  the  American  Bible  Society.  An  overwhelm- 
ing address  had  just  been  made  by  a  distinguished 
preacher,  when  his  name  was  announced.  "What 
presumption!"  said  one  in  a  suppressed  tone,  "a 
boy  like  that  to  be  set  up  after  a  giant."  "But,"  says 
Dr.  Bethune,  ' '  the  stripling  came  in  the  name  of  the 


RELA  TIVE  PR  0  GRESS  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM.        5  89 

God  of  Israel,  armed  with  a  few  smooth  stones  from 
the  brook  that  flows  hard  by  the  oracles  of  God." 
When  he  closed,  the  same  critic  exclaimed,  "Wonder- 
ful!  Wonderful!  he  talks  like  an  angel  from  heaven." 
Summerfield  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years, 
but  his  life  was  a  benediction  to  American  Methodism. 
George  Cookman,  an  Englishman  by  birth  and 
education,  belonged  to  this  class  of  extraordinary 
men.  He  was  a  man  of  marvelous  capabilities  in 
the  pulpit  and  on  the  platform.  Coming  to  this 
country,  he  joined  the  Philadelphia  Conference  in 
1826,  and  gave  himself  wholly  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  chiefly  in  the  Middle  States.  March  11, 
1 84 1,  he  went  on  board  the  steamer  President  to 
visit  his  native  land,  and  was  lost  at  sea,  with  all  on 
board.  But  his  fifteen  years  of  service  brought 
many  to  God  and  gave  a  new  impulse  to  every 
Church  interest.  His  charming  style  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  upper  classes  of  society,  who  gener- 
ally repudiated  Methodism.  His  fame  as  a  platform 
speaker  was  world-wide.  He  was  every  way  adapted 
to  address  large  assemblies.  The  Representatives 
Hall  at  Washington  was  never  more  ably  or  usefully 
occupied  than  when  he  was  Chaplain  to  Congress. 
And  what  was  remarkable  in  his  case,  he  was  always 
true  to  God  and  his  Church,  he  never  lowered  the 
standard  of  doctrine  or  practice  to  accommodate  the 
opinions  and  tastes  of  his  hearers,  however  high  or 
honorable.  He  seemed  to  keep  the  fire  of  holiness 
burning  in  his  own  heart  on  all  occasions,  and  that 
in  a  manner  to  attract  rather  than  to  repel.  And 
not  he  alone,  but  Methodism  generally,  reaped  the 
benefit    of    his    hallowing    influence.      A    Methodist 


$gO  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

chaplain  to  Congress,  and  the  grandest  preacher  on 
the  continent !  How  strange  that  report  sounded  in 
the  ears  of  our  enemies!     And  it  had  its  effect. 

John  N.  Maffit,  another  Irishman,  belonged  to 
this  circle  of  remarkable  preachers,  though  he  differed 
from  all  the  other.  As  an  elocutionist  he  was  nearly 
perfect.  His  voice  was  as  charming  as  a  viol,  and  as 
various  in  its  tones.  But  he  was  often  extravagant 
in  his  opinions  and  expressions,  and  sometimes  care- 
less in  his  conduct,  which  exposed  him  to  criticism 
and  censure,  even  from  his  best  friends.  His  gener- 
osity was  boundless.  He  was  open,  frank,  and  con- 
fiding, forgave  every  body  and  expected  every  body 
to  forgive  him.  We  knew  him  personally,  and  while 
we  could  not  wonder  that  he  did  not  please  some 
people,  we  saw  much  in  him  to  admire.  But  good, 
bad,  or  indifferent,  the  multitudes  would  follow  and 
hear  his  last  word,  if  they  did  not  submit  to  his  inim- 
itable pleadings  with  them  to  accept  of  offered  mercy. 
He  was  a  man  of  wonderful  power  and  popularity, 
and  probably  brought  thousands  to  the  Church,  dur- 
ing his  thirty  years'  ministry,  who  would  have  lived 
in  sin  but  for  his  peculiarities.  He  was  preaching  for 
us  a  few  days  in  Boston,  when  he  was  elected  chap- 
lain to  Congress.  Of  his  last  days  we  know  little. 
Dr.  Stevens  says,  "A  cloud  came  over  his  eccentric 
career  at  last.  Checked  in  the  Northern  Church, 
he  found  refuge  in  the  Southern,  and  died  in  Mobile, 
mourned  by  many,  impeached  by  not  a  few,  but  the 
wonder,  if  not  the  admiration,  of  all." 

Another  name  belonging  to  this  class  is  that  of 
Edward  T.  Taylor.  He  was  a  child  of  poverty,  born 
in   Virginia,    in    1793,    and   thrown    upon   the   sea,   a 


RELA  TI VE  PR  O  GRESS  OF  ME  T HOD  ISM.         5  9 1 

daring,  brave  boy,  but  with  a  noble  heart,  strayed 
into  a  Methodist  meeting  in  Boston,  and  after  many 
strange  hinderances  was  happily  converted,  and  with 
three  months'  schooling,  joined  the  New  England  Con- 
ference in  1 8 19.  Ten  years  after  he  became  chap- 
lain to  the  mariners  of  Boston,  where  a  church  was 
erected  for  him,  which  he  occupied  and  graced  until 
old  age  and  infirmities  commanded  him  to  retire. 
While  seamen  of  all  nations  delighted  to  sit  at  his  feet 
and  call  him  father,  the  elite  of  that  city  were  hardly 
less  idolatrous.  Emerson,  who  is  no  worshiper  of 
ministers,  said  of  him,  "No  name  in  this  city's  cler- 
ical annals,  not  that  of  Cotton  Mather,  Mathew 
Byles,  Peter  Thatcher,  or  Lyman  Beecher,  will  be 
more  historic,  or  more  justly  so,  for  wit,  imagination, 
and  oratory,  the  highest  gifts  of  intellect,  no  less  than 
of  the  heart,  than  the  name  of  Edward  Taylor." 

But  while  preachers  of  this  peculiar  style  were 
introducing  Methodism  to  the  higher  classes,  there 
was  another  style,  not  less  marked,  forcing  it  upon 
the  attention  of  the  lower  classes  in  the  sparcely  set- 
tled parts  of  the  country,  especially  on  our  Western 
frontiers.  Among  these  the  name  of  Peter  Cart- 
wright  occupies  a  prominent  place.  He  was  born  in 
Virginia  in  1785,  raised  and  converted  in  the  woods  of 
Kentucky,  and  devoted  sixty-five  years  to  the  itiner- 
ancy. He  was  a  powerful  man,  hard  as  a  rock,  and 
entirely  familiar  with  Western  backwoods  life,  afraid 
of  nobody,  and  full  of  zeal  for  God  and  Methodism. 
He  was  in  the  saddle  nearly  all  the  time,  and  in  the 
woods  three  or  four  months  in  the  year  at  camp- 
meetings,  preaching  sometimes  twice  or  three  times 
a  day,  and  frequently  whipping  the  mob  and  driving 


592  HISTORY  OF  METHODISM. 

them  from  the  ground.  He  was  presiding  elder 
about  fifty  years,  and  a  member  of  twelve  General 
Conferences. 

We  might  also  mention  James  Axley,  David 
Young,  J.  B.  Finley,  and  hosts  of  others,  who  de- 
lighted in  backwoods  life,  who  went  every-where 
preaching,  living  on  wild  game,  or  otherwise,  as  they 
could.  They  were  just  the  men  for  the  work.  Pol- 
ished preachers  would  not  have  undertaken  it,  and 
would  not  have  succeeded  had  they  done  so. 

The  hand  of  God  is  also  manifest  in  calling  Ger- 
man preachers  of  just  the  style  to  take;  in  enlisting 
Indians,  too,  and  negroes,  of  commanding  influence, 
to  lead  their  respective  classes  to  the  cross;  and 
this  is  his  established  order — the  same  that  he  main- 
tained in  the  days  of  the  prophets  and  apostles ;  and 
so  long  as  Methodists  seek  to  do  his  will,  his  all- 
wise  providence  will  guide  them. 

What  is  to  be  the  future  of  Methodism  we  are 
unable  to  foretell.  But  if,  with  such  means,  against 
such  fearful  odds,  and  under  so  many  discouraging 
circumstances,  it  has  achieved  such  results,  what  may 
we  not  anticipate  if  we  walk  by  the  same  rules  and 
mind  the  same  things  ?  The  Gospel  is  no  less  effica- 
cious now  than  formerly,  and  people  are,  probably, 
about  as  susceptible  of  being  effected  by  it.  Only 
let  the  Church  maintain  the  simplicity  and  faith  of 
the  fathers  and  employ  her  improving  facilities  for 
doing  good  as  she  ought,  and  what  has  been,  will  be 
only  as  the  first  fruits  of  a  mighty  harvest.  But  if 
she  shall  prove  recreant  to  her  high  trusts,  her  sun 
will  go  down  in  shame  and  everlasting  contempt. 

But  we  must  close.      Enough  has  been  said,  we 


RELATIVE  PROGRESS  OF  METHODISM.         593 

hope,  to  convince  the  most  prejudiced  that  a  great 
work  has  been  accomplished,  and  beget  an  interest 
in  contemplating  the  system  of  agencies  God  has  been 
pleased  to  acknowledge  therein.  Methodism  is  not 
fully  understood.  Her  friends  are  too  well  satisfied 
with  her  success  to  be  very  particular  about  the 
minutice  of  her  regimen;  and  her  enemies  find  it 
more  agreeable  to  their  taste  to  denounce  her,  and 
sneer  at  isolated  parts  of  her  system,  than  to  consider 
their  relation  to  other  parts,  and  the  truth  and  deep 
philosophy  of  the  whole.  We  are  desirous  of  help- 
ing both,  and,  therefore,  commend  this  volume  to 
their  careful  consideration. 

50 


TOPICAL  INDEX. 


Abbott,  Benjamin,  his  conversion  and 
work,  267,  268. 

Abolition,  396,  397;  made  prominent, 
402,  404,  405,  413,  414;  how  encour- 
aged, 428;  Methodist,  432;  opposed, 
433>  439>  alarmed  the  bishops,  436; 
a  religious  sentiment,  437;  con- 
demned, 440,  441;  not  pacified,  447; 
vindicated,  448;  pronounced  dead, 
453>  459;  hated,  480;  triumphant, 
498,  510. 

Abolitionists,  unjustly  treated,  435,  437, 
439-441;  divided,  443. 

Andrews,  Edward  G.,  elected  bishop, 
539.  54o. 

Alabama,  opened,  360. 

America,  discovered,  241. 

American  Colonization  Society,  314, 
429;  aided  by  sermons,  430;  their 
effect,  431;  indorsed,  438. 

American  Wesleyan  Observer,  started, 
45o. 

Ames,  Edward  R.,  missionary  secre- 
tary, 407;   elected  bishop,  485,  540. 

Antinoinians,  124,  125;  defended  by 
Walter  Shirley,  125,  126. 

Andrew,  James  O.,  elected  bishop, 
386;  married  slavery,  45O;  separated 
with  the  South,  476. 

Antislavery  societies,  origin  of,  431, 
432,  449;  measures  of,  432,  433;  the 
first  in  the  New  England  Confer- 
ence, 434;  its  creed,  436;  petitions 
of,  440;  conventions,  origin  of,  445; 
missionary  project  of,  450,  451. 

Appointments,  how  made,  229-233;  first 
in  America,  264. 

Asbury,  Francis,  received  on  trial,  122, 
135;  early  history  of,  256-260;  super- 
intendent, 277;  fared  hard,  285;   his 


labors,    315,    316,    323,    324,    330;    his 

death,  338-340. 
Assistants,  what,  117. 
Associate  Methodists,  207-209. 
Annesley,   Dr.   Samuel,  his  character, 

22,  24. 
Articles  of  religion,  adopted,  277. 

B. 

Baker,  Osmon  C,  elected  bishop,  485. 
death  of,  536. 

Bascom,  Henry  B.,  386. 

Baltimore,  250,  259. 

Bangs,  Nathan,  his  history,  5;  elected 
missionary  secretary,  394;  opposed 
abolition,  397;  arraigned  Mr.  Sun- 
derland, 439;  other  incidents  of,  556; 
conversion  of,  587. 

Benevolence,  a  marked  feature  of  Wes- 
leyans,  232-237;  how  organized,  238, 
239;  a  new  arrangement,  533. 

Baptists,  17,  296,  577,  578. 

Benson,  Joseph,  135,  136;  high-church, 
170;  his  commentaries,  207. 

Bowman,  Thomas,  elected  bishop,  539, 
54°- 

Bell,  Mr.,  an  enthusiast,  107,  108. 

Bishops,  none  in  British  connection, 
227,  229;  received  the  title,  283; 
power  of,  resisted,  299-304;  of  equal 
authority,  316;  watched,  331;  ad- 
dressed the  conference,  332:  sup- 
port of,  342;  new  powers,  413,  417, 
418-421;  elected,  395,  405;  not  slave- 
holders, 442;  more  lenient,  449;  com- 
mended lay  delegation,  499;  address 
in  1864,  506;  full  list  of,  540. 

British  Conference,  353;  delegates  to, 
354;  its  antislavery  letter,  440. 

Bund,  Dr..  editor,  480,  558. 

Book  Agents,  first  assistant,  331. 

595 


596 


TOPICAL  INDEX. 


Book  Concern,  its  origin,  290;  removed 
to  New  York,  321;  small,  332;  first 
required  to  support  the  bishops,  342, 
364;  in  debt,  379;  publishing  fund, 
380;  amount  paid  the  Church  South, 
457.  477;  history  of,  553-57" J  started 
on  Mulberry  Street,  557;  burned, 
557;  a  list  of  its  agents,  558;  sales  of, 
559;  profits  of,  560;  profits  at  Cincin- 
nati, 561;  its  growth,  561;  utility  of, 
565 ;  its  late  trials,  566,  575. 

Books,  influence  of,  7,  31,  36,  276;  early 
furnished,  99,  100,  113;  to  be  circu- 
lated, 117,  122,  128,-  139;  Methodist 
books,  207,  2(90. 

Boardman,  Richard,  123,  218,  254,  255, 
258,  265. 

Boston,  visited  by  Jesse  Lee,  291-294; 
seat  of  General  Conference  in  1852, 
484. 

Bradburn,  Samuel,  his  first  appear- 
ance, 136;  defended  Kilham,  169;  in 
counsel  for  peace,  172;  his  preach- 
ing, 217;  his  origin,  218. 

Bramwell,  William,  received  on  trial, 
154;  remarks  about  women's  preach- 
ing, 178. 

Bryanites,  history  of,  206. 

Bunting,  Jabez,  first  elected  member  of 
the  Conference,  217;  his  rank,  218. 

Burns,  Francis,  elected  bishop,  496; 
death  of,  540. 

C. 

Cabinet,  origin  of,  151. 

Calvinism,  in  Scotland,  118,  128;  in 
New  England,  288,  292. 

Campbell,  Bartlcy,  a  Romanist  con- 
verted, 200. 

Centenary  of  Methodism,  210;  the 
American  centenary,  519,  520;  the 
financial  result,  520-522. 

Capers,  William,  secretary,  407. 

Cennick,  Mr.  63,  67,  109. 

Church  of  England,  origin  of,  17;  op- 
posed the  Methodists,  94;  adherence 
of  Wesley  to,  105;  its  assumptions, 
113;  Wesley's  views  of,  120;  in  Amer- 
ica, 141,  142,  143;  treatment  of  Meth- 
odists, 275. 

Chinch,  Protestant  Episcopal,  not 
organized,  276,  284. 

Cartv/right,  Peter,  sketch  of,  591. 

Church,  Methodist  Episcopal,  organ- 
ized, 275-278;  declined  in  members, 
3975  opposed  slavery,  429;  sacrifices 


for  liberty,  458;  its  action  against 
slavery,  462,  470;  opposed  rebellion, 
471;  commended  by  the  President, 
470;  state  of  in  1852,  487;  in  1856,488: 
its  loyalty,  507;  numerical  progress 
of,  543-545;  present  statistics  of,  546; 
statistics  of  1874,  549,  550. 

Chicago,  111.,  its  rapid  growth,  526. 

Chartered  Fund,  established,  307,  308. 

Christian  Advocates,  started,  366. 

Cincinnati,  its  beginning,  329. 

Camp-meetings,  origin  of,  313,  315 » 
effects  of,  322,  329. 

Canada,  its  early  relations,  353,  354, 
360;  set  off,  377,  378. 

Circuits,  first  formed,  117;  restricted, 
364- 

Chapels,  why  so  called,  118,  167;  first 
in  America,  247;  free  and  pewed, 
356;  directions  for,  358. 

Church  Extension  Society,  formed, 
514;   its  receipts,  515. 

Church  property,  first  reported,  490; 
increase  of,  479. 

Colleges,  Wesley,  219;  at  Taunton, 
219;  Methodist,  220;  first  in  Amer- 
ica, 279,  280;  at  Middletown,  385;  of 
others,  386-389,  399. 

Comfort,  Silas,  the  hero  of  colored  tes- 
timony, 451,  452. 

Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
its  origin  and  status,  478,  479. 

Cox,  Melville  B.,  missionary  to  Africa, 
386. 

Colored,  testimony,  451,  452;  voted 
against,  457;  members  first  reported, 
463;  numbers,  465;  missionaries  to 
colored  people,  464 f  bishops,  496; 
members,  280,  281,  317. 

Congregationalism,  241;  its  hostility, 
289;  history  of,  578. 

Come-outers,  412. 

Conference  rights,  413 ;  claimed,  444, 448. 

Class-meetings,  origin  of,  75;  change 
concerning,  511. 

Conferences,  Annual,  the  first,  91,  94; 
the  second,  93;  controlled  by  Wes- 
ley, 94;  the  third,  114;  of  the  legal 
hundred,  165,  169;  the  Irish,  176,  203; 
how  modified,  181,  182;  first  in  Amer- 
ica, 263;  that  of  1784,  277;  those  of 
the  next  year,  280,  285;  in  1793,  308; 
in  New  England,  312;  in  Boston,  319; 
in  Liberia,  395;  Southern,  523,  524; 
German,  526;  mission,  527-529. 


TOPICAL  INDEX. 


597 


Conferences,  General,  the  first,  298;  of 
whom  composed,  303;  that  of  1796, 
312;  of  1804,  321;  of  1808,  324;  the 
first  delegated,  329,  330;  of  1824,  362; 
of  1828,  371;  of  1832,  386;  of  1836, 
394-441;  of  1840,  404;  of  1844,  415; 
how  divided,  456;  questions  involved, 
456-458;  effect  of,  472;  of  1848,  479; 
of  1852,  484;  of  1856,  488;  of  i860, 
494;  of  1864,  506;  effect  of,  515,  516; 
of  1868,  526;  of  1872,  534. 

Clarke,  Dr.  Adam,  received,  151;  man- 
ner of  sermonizing,  152;  commenta- 
ries, 207,  208;  his  boyhood,  218. 

Clark,  D.  W.,  elected  bishop,  511;  death 
of,  536,  54o. 

Coke,  Dr.,  113,  139;  ordained  superin- 
tendent, 141 ;  had  charge  of  missions, 
185-190,  191,  200,  281,  282,  286;  unset- 
tled, 316;  in  1808,  324;  his  death,  337. 

Cookman,  George,  sketch  of,  589. 

Conversions,  remarkable,  59,  201,  313- 
315,  328. 

Controversy,  the  Calvinistic,  62-64,  124. 


Dawson,  William,  217. 

Deed  of  Declaration,  139,  141-143,  149, 

152,  197;  confirmed,  208. 
District  Conferences,  provided  for,  357; 

re-established,  534. 
District  meetings,  what,  225,  226. 
Dow,  Lorenzo,  in  England,  182. 
Drew,  Samuel,  received,  152. 
Delegates,  fraternal,  362,  363. 
Durbin,  John  P.,  387,  485,  530. 
Dixon,  Dr.,  representative,  480. 


Economy,  financial  of  the  Wesleyans, 

332-337- 

Education,  213,  215,  219,  222,  345,  364, 
365,  379,  384;  prospects  for, brighten- 
ing. 385;  caution  given,  405;  new  as- 
pects, 496;  centenary  contributions 
to,  521,  522;  new  board  of,  522;  insti- 
tutions named,  527;  clerical  teachers, 
number  of,  551;  institutions,  551,  552. 

Enthusiasm,  a  fearful  case,  106-109. 

Emancipation,  422;  in  New  England, 
425;  foreshadowed,  505;  consum- 
mated, 509,  518. 

Elliott,  Charles,  his  opinions,  435,  436; 
opposed  to  abolition,  459;  appointed 
to  write  "The  Great  Secession,"  480. 


Embury,  Philip,  119,  122,  245-248. 

Exhorters,  provided  for,  115. 

Emory,  John,  delegate  to  British  Con- 
ference, 354;  defended  the  Church, 
375;  elected  bishop,  386;  death  of, 
390,  391-393;  addressed  the  abolition- 
ists, 436. 

F. 

Foster,  Randolph  S.,  elected  bishop, 
539.  54o. 

Fisk,  Wilbur,  365;  representative  to 
England,  394;  elected  bishop,  395; 
death  of,  395,  396  ;  favored  coloniza- 
tion, 432;  other  traces  of  him,  434, 
436,  437,  448,  587- 

Four-days'  meetings,  how  commenced, 
367,  368. 

Fletcher,  John,  124;  his  "Checks," 
126-130;  was  desired  to  succeed  Mr. 
Wesley,  139;  his  influence,  153;  the 
power  of  his  "Checks,"  207. 

Freedmen's  Aid  Society,  formed,  522, 
523;  its  collections,  523. 

Fletcher,  Mrs.,  a  preacher,  178. 

Fly-sheets,  what  and  effects  of,  212. 

Florida,  when  and  how  entered,  361. 

Funds,  the  Wesleyan,  233,  235,  236. 


Garrison, William  Lloyd,  431, 449, 452. 
Garrettson,    Freeborn,   converted,  268; 

ordained,  278;  his  death,  369. 
Galena,  mission  to,  385. 
George,   Enoch,   330;    elected    bishop, 

342;  death  of,  380. 
General  Grant,  509,  510,  517,  518. 
Germany,   how  opened,   80;   status  of, 

542. 
Georgia,  colony,  to  be  free,  132-134. 

H. 

Haven,  Gilbert,  elected  bishop,  539; 

residence,  etc.,  of,  540. 
Harris,    William    L.,    elected    bishop, 

539.  54o. 
Harris,  Howell,  60,  109. 
Hamline,  Leonidas  L.,  elected  bishop, 

416:  resigned,  417. 
Hedding,  Elijah,  295,  328,  329;  elected 

bishop,  364;  other  incidents,  407,  436, 

442,  447,  448;  death  of,  481-484. 
Horton,  Jotham,  450,  452,  454. 
Heck,  Barbara,  246,  252. 
Holy  Club,  at  Oxford,  37,  44,  45. 
Hymn-book,  origin  of,  355. 


598 


TOPICAL  INDEX. 


Indians,    our    work   among,    359,    369; 

many  converted,  384;  many  lost,  388, 

398;   Flathead,  388,  389. 
Ireland,  received  Methodism,  133;  sent 

it  to  America,  245-248,  251,  252,  259; 

O'Kelly,  a  mistake,  299,  489. 
Itinerancy,  preachers'   stay  limited   to 

two  years,  122;  threatened,  151,  251; 

restricted,  418,  421,  512,  530. 
Indiana  and  slavery,  463. 
Illinois,  how  settled,  463,  464. 
Independents,  what,  577. 

J- 

Janes,  Edmund  S.,  secretary,  349; 
elected  bishop,  416,  417;  visited  Eu- 
rope, 526. 

Jones,  Griffith,  60. 

John-street  Chapel,  248,  249;  occupied 
by  troops,  270. 

Judicial  Conference,  its  origin,  491;  of 
doubtful  propriety,  491. 

K. 

Kilham,  Alexander,  166-169,  174;  sta- 
tus of  his  followers,  175. 

Kingsley,  Calvin,  elected  bishop,  511; 
visited  Europe,  526;  death  of,  538,  540. 


Laymen,  distinguished,  called,  577, 
584,  586. 

Lady  Huntingdon's  connection,  origin 
of,  109;  her  operations,  125;  her 
school,  129;  alienation,  130;  success, 
132;  slaves,  etc.,  133;  failure  in  Geor- 
gia, 134;  affairs  in  England,  134. 

Ladies'  and   Pastors'  Union,  origin  of, 

524- 

Lay  representation,  claimed,  363,  37a- 
375;  history  of,  498-504. 

Lee,  Jesse,  goes  to  Connecticut,  288; 
to  Boston,  291,  295;  presides  at  a 
conference,  313;  finishes  his  course, 
346-448;  the  result,  485. 

Lee,  Jason  and  Daniel,  sent  to  Oregon, 
389;  Jason  returned,  400. 

Louisiana,  first  entered,  359. 

Love-feasts,  origin  of,  79. 

Lincoln,  the  President,  nominated,  504; 
called  for  soldiers,  469;  commenda- 
tion of  Methodists,  470;  re-elected, 
515;  called  for  thanksgiving,  517;  his 
noble  words,  517,  518. 


M. 

Maxfield,  put  forward,  67;  began  to 
preach,  67;  fell  away,  107. 

Massachusetts,  Methodism  in,  291-294. 

Maffit,  John  N.,  sketch  of,  590. 

Magazine,  Methodist,  331,  332;  reis- 
sued, 345. 

Morris,  Thomas  A.,  elected  bishop, 
395;  on  conference  rights,  448;  death 
of,  539- 

Michigan,  visited,  361. 

Millerism,  its  operations  and  influence, 
410. 

Methodists,  when  unknown,  18;  first 
so-called,  33;  organized,  52;  progress 
of,  58;  their  work,  59;  persecuted, 
66;  fearless  of  death,  72,  in;  care 
for  prisoners,  137,  138;  for  slaves,  189; 
attitude  of  English,  197-199;  through- 
out the  world,  546,  547. 

Methodist,  Reformed  Church,  333-335. 

Methodist,  African  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  335;  Zion's,  336. 

Methodist  Church  of  Canada,  organ- 
ized, etc.,  378. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South, 
457-466;  facts  about  its  separation, 
473-476;  its  organization,  476;  pres- 
ent status,  478,  479. 

Methodism,  first  organized,  52-54 ;  early 
progress,  60,  70;  entered  Germany, 
80,  81;  opposed,  81-89;  principles  set- 
tled, 92,  93;  relations  to  the  Estab- 
lished Church,  95,  96;  its  proper 
status,  97,  98;  planted  in  Ireland, 
103-105;  looks  churchish,  117;  con- 
trasted with  other  revivals,  118;  what 
it  might  have  been,  131,  136;  in  pris- 
ons, 137;  its  progress,  142,  149;  in- 
crease, 158,  159;  other  benefits,  159- 
163;  self-sacrificing,  164;  gains,  176; 
creates  alarm,  178,  179;  transforming, 
187-196;  in  America,  245;  started 
unofficially,  253;  power  of,  272,  273; 
progress  of,  284,  304-307,  318;  falsely 
charged,  332;  assailed,  340;  its  anti- 
slavery  influence,  463-467;  welcomes 
all  good  agencies,  525;  a  grand  fact, 
531;  its  progress,  576;  the  secret  of 
its  success,  579;  its  future,  592. 
Missions,  origin  of,  185,  186-190;  loss  in 
death  of  Dr.  Coke,  191;  first  society, 
192,  193;  in  Africa,  194;  Oceanica, 
194-197;  head-quarters  of,  210;  oper- 
ations of,  237-239;  among  the  Indians, 


TOPICAL  INDEX. 


599 


359;  in  New  England,  360;  Liberia, 
386,  388;  in  Worcester,  390,  398;  to 
the  Germans,  399,  400;  to  the  Freed- 
men,  524;  progress,  527;  state  of,  541. 

Missionaries,  to  America,  225,  256;  to 
the  West  Indies,  467. 

Minutes,  of  the  first  American  confer- 
ence, 264. 

Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  when  organized, 
348,  464;  annual  receipts,  349,  364, 
379;  correspondence  of,  394. 

M'Lean,  John,  notice  of,  585. 

M'Kendree,  William,  303,  318;  elected 
bishop,  326,  327;  in  1816,  347,  350,  379; 
death  of,  390,  391;  funeral  sermon  of, 

394- 
Merrill,   Stephen   M.,   elected    bishop, 
539,  540. 

N. 

Nelson,  John,  converted,  68,  69. 

New  Orleans,  opened,  369. 

New  Connection  Methodists,  174;  pres- 
ent numbers,  175. 

Newton,  Robert,  218,  404. 

New  York,  settled,  242;  Methodism 
started  in,  245,  246. 

New  England,  first  entered,  287;  first 
Church  of,  288,  291-296,  304-306; 
Provincetown,  309,  312;  extension 
society,  514. 

O. 

O' Kelly,  James,  299,  300,  318,  326. 
Oregon,  opened,  388,  389. 
Ouseley,  Gideon,  201. 
Otterbein,  Mr.,  history  of,  273. 

P. 

Papists,  converted,  199-202,  400. 

Penn,  William,  243. 

Persecution,  81-89,  95,  96-99;  in  Ire- 
land, 105,  179,  180,  186-189,  202,  270; 
defeated,  287,  309. 

Pilmoor,  Joseph,  123,  254,  265. 

Philadelphia,  250,  253,  254,  257,  263. 

Prayer-book,  provided  and  dropped,  278. 

Presbyterians,  origin  of,  17;  pious,  55, 
276;  fanatics  among,  322;  progress 
of,  57S. 

Preaching,  strange  effects  of,  55;  field, 
56;  lay,  resisted,  60;  provided  for, 
66;  reasons  for,  75;  powerful  effects 
of,  272,  273. 

Preachers,  first,  98;  urged  to  read,  99I 
sufferings  of,  104;  fearless,  111;  their 


call,  how  tested,  114;  feelings,  180; 
power,  181;  providentially  supplied, 
217-219;  how  stationed,  229,  230,  266; 
secret  of  their  power,  266-268,  310- 
312;  could  stay  but  two  years,  321; 
local,  ordained,  327,  331;  power  re- 
stricted, 333;  located, 396, 484;  super- 
annuated, 397;  must  fail,  403,  404; 
received  from  other  Churches,  406; 
antislavery,  424. 

Providence  of  God,  cases  of  its  mani- 
festation, 217,  219,  244,  252-254;  in 
emancipation,  460-462,  468,  470,  476; 
for  the  Freedmen,  523,  524;  in  rais- 
ing up  laymen,  584-586;  ministers, 
586-592. 

Presiding  elders,  227,  280;  election  of, 
302-304;  steadying  the  ark,  310;  man- 
ner of  reducing  the  number,  326; 
Lee's  views  of,  347;  history  of,  350- 
353,    414,    415;    present    number    of, 

55i- 
Protestant  Methodist  Church,  formed, 

375;  progress  of,  376,  377. 
Periodicals,  origin  of,  395. 
Pitman,  Charles,  elected  secretary,  407, 

485- 

Plan  of  separation,  falsely  so-called,  457. 

Primitive  Methodists,  origin  of,  182; 
progress  of,  183,  184;  in  Ireland,  203- 
205. 

Publishing  establishment,  222,  223;  pri- 
vate publishing,  opposed,  263. 

Pierce,  Dr.  Lovick,  delegate  in  1848, 
460. 

Peck,  Jesse  T.,  elected  bishop,  539,  540. 

Peck,  George,  elected  editor,  480,  557. 

Punshon, William  Morley,  delegate,  530. 

Privileges,  committee  of,  577. 

Q- 

Quarterly  Meetings,  origin  of,  117, 
226;  in  America,  260. 


Rankin,    Thomas,    early    history    of, 

261-264. 
Revivals,  great,  409-413,  497. 
Rebellion,  the,  458,  462,  466;   came  at 

the  right  time,  468-470,  498;  the  first 

gun  of  the,  505;    encouraged  in  the 

North,  516;  rebuked,  517. 
Ritualism,  a  step  toward,  492,  493. 
Roberts,   J.   W.,   colored    bishop,   496; 

death  of,  540. 


6oo 


TOPICAL  INDEX. 


Roberts,  Robert  Richford,  309;  elected 
bishop,  342,  343;  died,  415,  416. 

Religious  world,  state  of,  17-20. 

Romanism,  17-20;  in  Ireland,  103;  its 
victims  converted,  131-141:  in  Amer- 
ica, 359;  overcome,  361,  362,  369. 

Rules,  restrictive,  what,  386;  miscon- 
strued, 406. 

Ruter,  Martin,  387,  398;  his  work  and 
death,  399. 

S. 

Salaries,  first  mentioned,  119,  253; 
increased,  317. 

Sacraments,  desired,  120;  provided, 
140,  141;  trouble  about,  169;  how 
settled,  171;  in  Ireland,  203,  263,  264; 
in  America,  270,  271,  275-278. 

Secessions,  63,  67,  102;  in  America,  290, 
333,  335,  336- 

Schools,  Kingswood,  101. 

Shadford,  George,  261,  262. 

Stewards,  character  of,  102. 

South  Carolina,  seceded,  505. 

Slavery,  132,  186;  how  defended,  187- 
190,  255;  denounced,  271;  trouble 
with,  318,  364;  modified  by  missions, 
385,  386,  388,  396-398;  chief  subject, 
402,  404,  413,  422,  424,  425;  preachers 
involved  in,  425,  426,  427,  429;  how 
destroyed,  461;  in  the  West  Indies, 
467;  honored,  489,  490,  498;  warmly 
defended,  504. 

Sunderland,  La  Roy,  432,  433,  439,  447, 
452,  454- 

Scott,  Orange,  432,  433;  his  quarterly 
review,  446,  447;  secessional  lean- 
ings, 450,  451;    his   withdrawal,   452- 

454- 

Storrs,  George,  432,  440,  441. 

Smith,  William  A.,  442;  in  the  Harding 
case,  456. 

Stevens,  Abel,  elected  and  resigned, 
480. 

Scott,  Levi,  elected  bishop,  489,  540. 

Scott,  Robinson,  his  visit  and  enter- 
prise, 489. 

Stilwellites,  origin  of,  336. 

Summerfield,  John,  his  brilliant  his- 
tory, 361,  588. 

Slaves,  condition  of,  463,  466;  improved 
by  the  Gospel,  466;  their  view  of 
"Massa  Linkum,"  509. 

Simpson,  Matthew,  elected  bishop,  485; 
delegate,  489;  in  other  connections, 
499,  521,  54°- 


Statistics,  first  taken,  122;  at  Wesley's 
death,  154,  158,  159,  221;  American, 
264,  265;  of  1784,  273,  280;  of  Long 
Island,  289;  at  the  first  General  Con- 
ference, 299,  300,  318;  African  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  335;  Zion's, 
336;  at  Coke's  death,  338;  at  Asbury's 
death,  339;  at  Lee's  death,  347;  in 
1820,  357;  of  Canada,  378;  of  Indians, 
384;  of  slaves,  388;  of  Oregon,  389; 
of  Germans,  400;  colored  members, 
464;  of  Church  South,  477,  478;  of 
Church  property,  497;  losses  during 
the  war,  519;  subsequent  gains,  519, 
526,  527,  531;  tables  of,  540-551. 

Strawbridge,  Robert,  251,  264,  266. 

Societies,  the  first,  52;  rules  of,  53;  at 
Bristol,  57;  to  be  multiplied,  117;  in 
America,  246,  251,  252. 

Soule,  Joshua,  295,  328,  329;  book 
agent,  342,  345;  elected  bishop,  353; 
re-elected,  364;    other  incidents,  404, 

407,  555- 
Sunday-schools,  origin  of,  290,  291,  303. 
Sunday-school  Union,  formed,  336,  367; 

its  effect,  381,  383. 

T. 

Texas,  history  of,  398. 

The  American  Wesleyan  Methodists, 
450,  456;  their  status,  455. 

Tickets,  quarterly,  origin  of,  78,  121. 

Taylor,  David,  called,  91. 

Thorp,  John,  converted,  112. 

Tracts,  first  distributed,  117;  society 
formed  to  circulate,  344. 

Temperance,  54;  Whitefield  not  Wes- 
leyan on,  132;  other  references  to, 
260,  271,  312,  386,  406;  our  present 
attitude,  513. 

Thomson,  Edward,  elected  bishop,  511; 
visited  China,  526;  death  of,  537,  540. 

Theological  schools,  215, 

Taylor,  Edward  T.,  315,  590. 

The  True  Wesleyan  started,  452. 

Things  as   they  are,  459. 

The  National  Magazine,  history  of, 
486,  487. 

The  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Soci- 
ety, 532. 

The  Minard  Home,  what,  535. 

U. 

United  Methodist  Free  Church,  209. 
United  Brethren,  origin  of,  273,  274. 


TOPICAL  INDEX. 


601 


Voltaire,  his  influence,  18. 


W. 


Wesley,  Samuel,  21,  23;  house  burned, 
26. 

Wesley,  Susanna,  24,  25;  led  in  public 
worship,  25;  her  influence,  72;  death 
of,  73,  92. 

Williams,  Roger,  242,  309. 

Wesley,  John,  born,  20;  of  good  stock, 
21,  24,  25;  his  education,  25,  26;  nar- 
row escape  of,  26,  27;  literary  course, 
27;  reading,  28,  31,  36;  ordained  dea- 
con, 28;  elected  Fellow  of  Lincoln 
College,  28;  assisted  his  father,  30; 
ordained  priest,  30;  addressed  the 
tutors,  30;  growth  in  grace,  31,  32; 
of  the  Holy  Club,  34;  came  to  Amer- 
ica, 38;  returned,  39;  his  new  dis- 
covery, 40;  the  results,  41-44;  heart 
strangely  warmed,  49;  among  the 
Moravians,  50;  shut  out  ofj:hurches, 
54;  preached  in  the  open  air,  56;  left 
the  Moravians,  61 ;  preached  against 
predestination,  64;  on  his  father's 
tombstone,  82;  mobbed,  83-89;  his 
first  conference,  91-94;  reasoned  with 
the  clergy,  94-96;  advised  his  fol- 
lowers, 97;  provided  books,  99,  100; 
changed  his  views,  112,  113,  116,  117; 
visits  Ireland,  119;  sick,  119;  assailed 
by  Calvinists,  124-128;  ordained  Dr. 
Coke  and  others,  140,  141;  his  Deed 
of  Declaration,  141-149;  letter  to  the 
conference,  147;  failing  health,  150; 
ordains  others,  154;  his  last  confer- 
ence, 154;  subsequent  labors,  155, 
156;  highly  appreciated,  157;  the  se- 
cret of  his  power,  163,  164;  afflicted 
with  his  American  children,  282-285; 
on  slavery,  423,  465. 

Waugh,  Beverly,  elected  bishop,  395; 
character  and  death  of,  494;  other 
incidents  of,  556. 

Wesley,  Charles,  at  Oxford,  29,  33; 
other  particulars,  35;  read  Kempis, 
etc.,  36;    came  to  America,  38;    con- 


version of,  47,  48;  leaned  toward  Qui- 
etism, 70;  preached  with  power,  71; 
true  to  the  Church,  120, 121 ;  opposed 
John,  141,  261. 

Whitefield,  George,  ignorant  of  relig- 
ion, 20;  other  particulars  of  him,  36; 
his  conversion,  44,  45;  ordained,  45; 
poverty  of,  45;  came  to  Georgia,  46; 
began  field  preaching,  56;  separation 
from  Wesley,  62;  his  will,  66;  popu- 
larity, no;  usefulness,  no,  123;  not 
sectarian,  no;  travels  and  labors, 
123 ;  death  of,  123 ;  a  slave-holder,  132. 

Women,  active  in  public  worship,  25, 
26,  178;  a  new  device,  524,  525,  532. 

Whitehead,  Dr.,  his  views,  74,  146. 

Watch-meetings,  origin  of,  77. 

Williams,  Thomas,  entered  Ireland,  103, 
104,  244. 

War,  the  Revolutionary,  137,  268;  of 
1812,  333;  of  the  Rebellion,  505-510; 
opposed  by  Northerners,  516,  517; 
encouraged,  517;  the  end  of,  518;  loss 
of  members  during,  519. 

Watson,  Richard,  167,  193,  207. 

Webb,  Captain,  247-250,  257,  261,  265, 
587. 

Wesleyan  connection,  its  organism,  223; 
its  relation  to  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  353,  354. 

Williams,  Robert,  252,  263. 

Waters,  William,  264. 

Whitworth,  Abraham,  266. 

Whatcoat,  Richard,  276,  282;  elected 
bishop,  317;  death  of,  323. 

Washington,  George,  congratulatory 
address  to  and  his  reply,  386,  387. 

Wiley,  Isaac  W.,  elected  bishop,  539, 
540. 

Worcester,  Mass.,  opened,  390. 

Wooster,  Calvin,  a  remarkable  man,  310. 

Z. 

Zion's  Herald,  established,  365;  open 
to  abolitionists,  433-436;  opposed  to 
secession,  454. 

Zion's  Watchman,  why  and  when 
started,  439. 


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